Nokia Lumia 800 battery fix finally released
Nokia has released the long-awaited update that promises to fix the Nokia Lumia 800's woeful battery life.
The first Nokia phone to run Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system, the Lumia 800 has been beset by bugs since its release, most notably a very short battery life.
The new software (version 1600.2487.8107.12070) is rolling out across the globe from today until April 18. Lumia 800 owners can check on the Nokia site to find out if the update is already available for their country and network.
25-30 hours battery life after update
Dinesh, the Nokia employee who announced the update, reports that he has been getting 25-30 hours of battery life with fairly active use (though five of those hours are in flight mode – which is cheating, isn't it?).Other changes include beefing up the Lumia 800's weak bass to improve sound quality in calls and music, as well as tweaking the illumination settings of the soft keys.
However, Wi-Fi tethering is still missing, and we're told simply that it's "on its way".
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Review: Toshiba AT200
Overview
The Toshiba AT200 (originally known as the Toshiba Excite) flaunts itself as the world's thinnest tablet, and it's the follow up to the Toshiba AT100, which scored 3/5 in our review back in August of last year.We first saw the AT200 all the way back in September at IFA 2011 in Germany and it has taken a long 6 months for it to reach the UK.
In the UK the Toshiba AT200 is exclusively available now at Carphone Warehouse. It comes in two models; 16GB and 32GB which are priced at £399 (about $630) and £449 (about $710) respectively.
This puts the AT200 in direct competition with the likes of the new iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the cheaper Sony Tablet S.
As the world's thinnest tablet, prepared to be impressed – the AT200 is a mere 7.7mm in depth. Compare that with the 8.6mm Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 9.4mm new iPad and you've got yourself one seriously slim piece of tech.
And the fun doesn't stop there; the AT200 is also lightweight, tipping the scales at 535g – over 100g lighter than the new iPad, 60g lighter than the Tablet S and 30g lighter than the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
The brushed metal back and sides gives the AT200 a sturdy and professional feel, without feeling cumbersome in the hand, thanks to its 256 x 176 x 7.7 mm dimensions.
The AT200 comes running Android Honeycomb 3.2, but it will receive an update to Ice Cream Sandwich in the near future – although the exact date for the upgrade is still unclear.
Honeycomb is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM which keeps everything ticking over nicely.
On the front you get a 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 TFT display and a 2MP camera above it, perfect for video calls.
Round the back there's a 5MP camera which is capable of capturing full HD (1080p) video and we were also pleased to find a single LED flash included as well.
Connectivity wise the AT200 offers a surprising array of options for a tablet with micro SD, USB and HDMI ports along with a 3.5mm headphone jack down the left hand side.
Inside there is Wi-Fi b/g/n, GPS and Bluetooth 2.1, but the AT200 does not offer a SIM port for a 3G connection.
On the base of the AT200 is a 30 pin connector used for charging and on the right is the power/lock key, volume rocker switch and a multi-function slider.
Interface
The Toshiba AT200 comes running Android Honeycomb 3.2.1, but Toshiba has confirmed that it will roll out an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich sometime this year.Toshiba has not wasted much time tweaking the operating system, which means the AT200 runs a standard version of the impressive Android Honeycomb software.
The AT200 takes almost 40 seconds to start up which is slower than the likes of the iPad 2 and the new iPad – which may frustrate impatient users.
Android 3.2.1 runs relatively smoothly, but we found the Toshiba AT200 lacked the slickness of rivals such as the Sony Tablet S and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.
Saying that, the AT200 is no slouch, and we were able to sweep through home screens and applications without the lag we experienced during our hands on Toshiba AT200 review.
The 10.1-inch touchscreen responded quite well to most gestures; however we found the AT200 frequently failed to register our lighter touches, especially the options in the bottom left corner – which annoyed pretty quickly.
You'll find the navigational tools in a bar in the bottom left corner comprising of back, home and multi-tasking options. In the right hand corner you have the time and notification display.
A quick slide up over the bottom right corner of the screen brings up the familiar Android notification menu, which will provide you with various details such as Wi-Fi connections, recent emails and app alerts.
The AT200 provides five home screens to arrange various widgets and applications on, but you can't add additional screens if you're a big widget fan - although we felt there was more than enough space to be getting on with.
Hold down on a free space on any home screen and the edit menu appears, providing you with an overview of all your home screens at the top and then various tabs which allow you to add widgets, apps, wallpapers and shortcuts with a simple drag and drop interface.
Toshiba has stuck with the stock Android widgets on the AT200 such as; clock, calendar, email, contacts and so on, but if you head over to Google Play you'll be able to get more such as Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare - although having to do this does take a little of the wow factor away when they're all pre-installed.
Hit the multi-tasking option in the bottom left of the screen and a pop up will appear showing a list of open apps. You can easily navigate up and down this menu and select an app. You're able to open this menu from within an application – allowing you to switch between apps with ease.
A feature Android Honeycomb lacks, and which the Ice Cream Sandwich update will bring, is the ability to close running apps from the multi-tasking menu by horizontally swiping across an app in the list.
To close running apps you need to navigate to Settings > Applications > Manage Applications which is time consuming, but something the Ice Cream Sandwich update will address.
Features
The Toshiba AT200 is a lean, mean machine clocking in at a wafer thin 7.7mm, making it the slimmest slate on the market. Complementing its slim form, the AT200 only weighs 535g.The size and weight of the AT200 makes it ultra-portable, clocking in at over 100g lighter than the new iPad and also lighter than other Android competitors the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Sony Tablet S.
The lightweight design means the Toshiba AT200 is very easy on the arms when holding for extended periods of time, but the completely flat back is not the most comfortable. We prefer the curved back of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, or folded design of the Tablet S, as they fit naturally into the hand.
If you opt for the Toshiba AT200 you'll be suitably pleased with the number of connectivity options provided on the tablet. On the left hand side you are greeted with micro SD, HDMI and USB ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
On the inside the AT200 provides Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but there is no 3G or 4G connectivity options, as it is only available with Wi-Fi.
The final port on the AT200 is a 30 pin charger slot, found on the bottom edge. The charger which comes in the box has a cable with a 30 pin connection at one end and a standard USB connection at the other, meaning you can charge it via a computer or wall plug adapter.
You only get the charging cable (with charger plug adapter) in the box, so you will need to fork out for your own micro USB and HDMI cables, microSD card and earphones - so there's no way to get media on the tablet out of the box unless you faff around with wireless syncing, which many will be unwilling to do.
There are physical buttons on the right hand side of the Toshiba AT200, comprising of a power/lock key, volume rocker and a multi-function slider – which can be programmed in the settings to either lock screen rotations or toggle mute.
We found the power/lock key unresponsive at times, with a firm press required to register the action, but the volume rocker was far easier to hit.
The model we received had 32GB of internal storage, but the Toshiba AT200 is also available in a 16GB version for £50 (about $80) less.
The 10.1-inch screen provides a 1280 x 800 display which delivers a decent image, be it when surfing the web or watching a movie.
The display is not as bright as the likes of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, nor is it as crisp as the retina screen found on the new iPad.
While the AT200 is easy to view indoors and outside on a dull day, we found bright sunlight hampers the display, making it very difficult to see what is on screen.
You'll find stereo speakers on the bottom of the AT200 which deliver suitable volume levels to allow you to watch movies and listen to songs, but don't expect amazing quality and tones. You're better off plugging in headphones if you want to do some serious music listening or movie watching.
Media and Internet
Media
Toshiba has included its own market called Toshiba Places on the AT200, which offers you a range of music, videos, apps, games and books to download.The same market place is available on Toshiba's internet connected TVs, so some of you may already be familiar with it.
Annoyingly, once you've registered with Toshiba Places you then have to download separate applications for Toshiba's own app (App Center), game (using WildTangent) and ebook (Toshiba ebooks) stores - adding unnecessary bloatware to the AT200.
The dedicated markets are stripped down versions of Google Play and we found them to be pretty useless, opting for the Play Store over them everytime.
Within Toshiba Places you can download music tracks (using 7 digital) and movies (using viewster) - however neither offered a great range of content, with the movie option a real disappointment. And remember - Google Play does movies, and it offers a much better range.
Toshiba has handily included its Media Player app on the AT200 which gives you easy access to all the music, videos, photos and podcasts stored on the tablet.
Unfortunately you can't download music or movies from within the Media Player app, having instead to go to Google Play or Toshiba Places to feed your content hunger.
The 10.1-inch TFT screen lacks the brightness and pop of its super AMOLED rival on the likes of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, but the AT200 still provided us with a good movie watching experience.
The sound via the built in speakers is adequate – with the volume loud enough for a few of your nearest and dearest to huddle round the screen with you, although we found the quality to be better when using headphones.
The video player is part of the Media Player app and provides the basic play/pause, skip and scrub options. If you prefer a dedicated video app head over to Google Play, where you'll have a choice of both free and paid video player apps, such as Play Movies or mVideoPlayer.
The AT200 sports a micro HDMI port, allowing you to hook the tablet up to an HD TV or monitor. Unfortunately though, Toshiba has not been kind enough to supply an HDMI cable in the box, which is a little fustrating.
The Toshiba AT200 also has the Android Music app, if you don't want the fuss of the full Media Player offering. The app is easy to use and displays your music in clear thumbnails – ordered by artists, albums, songs, playlists or genres.
It offers a simple, no-thrills player which will be enough for most users, but if you're someone who likes to fiddle with an equaliser then you're out of luck.
If you're once of those people who loves to sing along to their favourite beats then Toshiba has got you covered, as it's included the TuneWiki app on the AT200.
TuneWiki matches your songs to the correct lyrics, allowing you to hold your own sing-a-long session. You can also share your lyrical experiences with the TuneWiki social network from inside the app too - exciting stuff.
Internet
The AT200 uses the stock Android Honeycomb web browser, which provides tabbed browsing, thumbnail bookmarks and an easy-to-use interface.Toshiba has also pre-loaded Adobe Flash Player onto the AT200, meaning you can jump straight onto the web to watch all those crazy videos you love so much.
As the Toshiba AT200 is Wi-Fi only you won't be able to surf the web while you're on the move, leaving you confined to Wi-Fi hotspots.
The AT200 was able to quickly pick up and connect to Wi-Fi networks, however this speed wasn't always translated in the browser experience.
Web browsing on the AT200 is a generally fluid experience, with no lag while scrolling a page or zooming in. Text re-flow was in action as we zoomed our viewing, allowing for a better reading layout.
We found that content heavy websites took some time to load, with the AT200 struggling to serve up multiple images, banner ads and moving components - a whole 15 seconds to load the famous TechRadar.com!
We weren't left waiting all day and all the content worked once it had loaded, but the wait time was noticeable enough to become annoying.
Camera
Tablets are not the first bit of kit you'd pick up when it comes to taking pictures, but at least the Toshiba AT200's small and lightweight design means it's not the most cumbersome when snapping photos.Toshiba has stuck a 5MP camera on the back of the AT200 along with a single LED flash to help in low light situations.
The AT200 takes decent snaps and while they may not be the most vivid or colourful, it more than pulls its weight when it comes to occasional snapping.
There's also a 2MP front facing camera for video calling and those vital vanity checks - which easily outstrips the iPad's terrible VGA option.
The camera app on the AT200 is the standard Honeycomb affair, with a simple and easy to use layout. Auto focus is present, but there is no tap to focus.
You're able to toggle the flash, white balance, colour effects and scenes easily from shortcuts on the right and there's a further settings menu which offers options such as exposure and picture size and quality.
The Toshiba AT200 also packs a 7x digital zoom, which is easy to use with the large plus and minus icons in the top right corner. As expected, picture quality is drastically reduced when zoomed in, with images appearing very pixelated.
We found that shutter speed was very slow at times, with the auto focus slowing down the picture taking process. Sometimes there would be a one to two second delay between pressing the shutter and the picture being taken.
Outside: The AT200 is able to produce decent images in good light, although colours could be brighter
Click here for full-res version
Macro: Close up images are well defined, if not a little washed out
Click here for full-res version
Inside: the AT200 copes reasonably well in the dim lighting of the London Underground
Click here for full-res version
Sepia: One of the few effects available in the AT200's camera app
Click here for full-res version
Negative: the London Underground map looks funky when using the negative effect
Click here for full-res version
Aqua: feeling blue? Then this is the camera effect for you
Click here for full-res version
3x zoom: picture quality drops when less than half the zoom is used
Click here for full-res version
7x zoom: when fully zoomed in the image quality suffers greatly and photos appear very pixelated
Click here for full-res version
Flash: picture quality when using the flash in low light situations is disappointing
Click here for full-res version
Video
The Toshiba AT200 allows you to record full HD video via the 5MP camera on the back.Video recording is accessed through the camera app – there is a simple toggle on the right of the screen to switch between camera and video modes.
The zoom function found in camera mode is sadly disabled for video recording; however the LED backlight can be used if you need to film in dark places.
You need to turn the LED light on before pressing record though, as it cannot be toggled on or off while filming.
There are a few settings which can be tweaked including video quality (low, high – 720p or Full HD – 1080p) and colour effects (sepia, negative and aqua).
In our test the Toshiba AT200 produces decent quality video and was able to cope reasonably well with moving objects. Take a look at our HD video sample below.
Maps and apps
Maps
The Toshiba AT200, like all other Android devices, comes with the excellent Google Maps app.The built in GPS capability of the AT200 means you can easily locate yourself on the map, work out route directions and even receive turn by turn navigation, thanks to Google's free navigation software.
Not that you'd use a tablet as an in-car sat nav, as it would take up most of the windscreen. Also remember the AT200 is Wi-Fi only, which hampers any route planning abilities when you're on the move.
When connected to Wi-Fi, the AT200 was able to pinpoint our location within a couple of seconds and kept the position locked without trouble.
It was relatively quick to navigate round the maps with the dual-core processor rendering the images in good time.
Apps
Google Play (formerly the Android Market) is still the place to go for all your application needs when using the Toshiba AT200.The trouble with Google Play is you have to sift through a lot of apps designed for smaller mobile devices, which means they appear stretched on the AT200's 10.1-inch display.
Toshiba also offers its own, reduced-size markets – Toshiba Places, App Center, WildTangent and Toshiba ebooks – which offer an array of music, videos, apps, games and ebooks - although the choice is greatly reduced compared to Google Play.
A few apps have been pre-loaded onto the AT200 including Calc, Show and Write which are basic spreadsheet, slideshow and word document editors; useful for anyone needing to do some work on the move.
For anyone forgetful out there the Evernote app is also pre-installed on the Toshiba AT200, which allows you to make notes, record audio and capture images of things you need to remember.
The PrinterShare app allows to you to remotely print from the AT200 to a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or internet enabled printer at the press of a button.
Spashtop HD Free is also included on the AT200, which lets you access files on your computer using your tablet.
Hands-on gallery
Official Gallery
Verdict
The Toshiba AT200 has got the body – its sleek curves, slender build and lightweight shell means that it certainly catches the eye.
As we all know though looks are not everything, what's on the inside counts as well, and we're not sure if the AT200 delivers in this department - especially at £399/£499 (around $635-$800) for the 16GB/32GB versions.
We liked
There's no denying it, the Toshiba AT200 certainly looks the part. We're super impressed with its 7.7mm case and the AT200 won't hurt your arms if you hold it during a movie.We're also impressed with the number of ports Toshiba has provided, as all too often we see tablets lacking in the connectivity department.
The Toshiba AT200 packs a decent camera, for a tablet, and the 1080p video recording is certainly a bonus – along with some of the bundled apps Toshiba has pre-installed for us.
We disliked
The Toshiba AT200 is still running Android Honeycomb and we're now in the days of Ice Cream Sandwich, which is similar to Honeycomb is many ways, but brings with it a slicker interface and useful additional features such as being able to close apps from the multi-tasking menu.There's no doubt Ice Cream Sandwich will, when Toshiba finally provides it, give an extra layer of polish to the AT200.
The new iPad has set the bar extremely high when it comes to screen quality and as the AT200 falls into the same price bracket we're disappointed that the screen isn't a bit brighter and more colourful.
It's all very well sticking loads of connectivity ports onto the AT200, but there are no additional cables or headphones in the box, meaning you will have to fork out more money if you want to make use of these.
In a world of mobile computing it's a shame that Toshiba has not included a 3G model, for those of us who like to surf the web on the train to work and stream music in park – especially as the AT200 is so darn portable, it seems like Toshiba has missed an obvious trick.
Verdict
The Toshiba AT200 is a good, solid and portable device, delivering everything you'd expect from an Android tablet. However that's all it delivers - another Android Tablet in an already crowded market.We can't help thinking that Toshiba has only done half a job with the AT200. It looks great, we love its thin, lightweight and well connected body – but when you get to using it you're not wowed by anything.
Toshiba has made a competitive tablet, a marked improvement on the AT100, and it will certainly give the likes of the Sony Tablet S and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 a run for their money.
However, if you are going to price a tablet inline with the iPad it needs to offer something special, a unique experience... and we just don't get that with the AT200.
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News in Brief: One More Thing: Steve Jobs didn't like Siri
Today the tech world is reeling from the revelation that Steve Jobs didn't like the name Siri, which is fair enough because it's not a particularly good name.
But here at One More Thing, we're already over it and on to Peter, the Galaxy Note wielding elephant and the scientists that use Lego to grow fake bones. We're even repinning President Obama. Come. Give in. Join us. Braiiiiins.
You can't be Siri-ous – Presumably that's what Steve Jobs said of the name Siri which he apparently did not like. But Dag Kittlaus, who co-founded Siri, said Jobs stuck with Siri because he couldn't come up with anything better. But, you know, he came up with the iPod and the iPhone and the iPad so we can probably cut him some slack. [Apple Insider]
Pachyderm tech – The Samsung Galaxy Note's screen is so big that even an elephant – note: not the world's first elephant – can use it. No, really. There's a video and everything. Not only can it jab and swipe with its trunk, the elephant, named Peter, even uses the S Pen stylus to draw a, well, we're not sure what but still. Amazing. [Samsung]
The Good eBook – Ebibles are no new phenomenon, but this voice-controlled one is a bit swish. Just command your Android phone to take you to Deuteronomy 14:21 if you need to remind someone about not cooking a young goat in its mother's milk, for example. You can try "Let there be light" but we imagine you might get a bit smote if you do. [GeekWire]
Flamin' galahs – Aussies disappointed by the new iPad and its inability to work with the country's 4G networks are now being offered refunds by Apple. The company is also going to email every new iPad buyer to make sure they know about it and hopefully avoid a lengthy court case. Bet it's wishing it had just taken 4G out of its adverts now. [SlashGear]
Dem bones – You got some Lego? Well what is your excuse for not growing some synthetic bones then? Underachiever. [Google Science Fair]
Obama joins Pinterest – Or, perhaps more accurately, an intern on Obama's election campaign joins Pinterest. Is that everyone now? Or are there still some people not pinning? [Pinterest]
Win Pho hits China – Nokia has released two phones in China today, the first Windows Phone handsets to make it to the country. "We've created a compelling, locally relevant experience on the Nokia 800C especially tailored for people in China," say Stephen Elop, Nokia's CEO – this includes Trends, a fashion magazine collection, and some free games. What a treat. [Reuters]
Story time – Court's a serious place, so no doubt the serious types that frequent courthouses enjoyed the light relief brought by Hasbro v. Asus. They were treated to a potted history of the Transformers and a sensible summing up that states it cannot "be said that there is any similarity in the use or function between Hasbro and Asus's products". [PaidContent]
World class - Qualcomm sent a phone with a Snapdragon processor off on a round the world trip to see if it could make it on a single charge. And it did, hitting LA, New York, London, Paris, Shanghai, Moscow, Dubai, Istanbul and Rio de Janeiro, filming a couple of takes in each location (although it was shut down while travelling through the post). [Qualcomm]
Unreal FBI – The FBI has licensed the Unreal gaming engine for making super awesome training programmes. Unreal is used to power Mass Effect 3 and Infinity Blade, but those aren't the only reasons the Bureau has gone with Unreal: it's also because it is superior and cheaper than the military-built simulators. Pretty sensible, all in all. [BBC]
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Gary Marshall: Hey, Apple! Stop fibbing about 4G
Whenever Apple brings out a new thing, it tends to bring out the doom-mongers and exaggerators. The new iPad is no exception. According to some of the more excitable bits of the internet, Apple's latest tablet will cook your plums, keep on charging when it's already charged and tell bare-faced lies about whether it can connect to 4G broadband.
Except that last one's true. In Australia, Apple's giving angry Aussies refunds because they've discovered that "iPad with Wi-Fi and 4G" actually means "iPad with Wi-Fi and not 4G at all, actually."
The problem is that while Australia does have 4G coverage, it's the wrong sort of 4G. The new iPad uses 4G on the 700MHz and 2100MHz frequencies, neither of which are used in Australia.
Is Apple at it?
4G or not 4G, that is the question
If Australians have a right to be annoyed then we Brits should be bloody livid: at least they have a 4G broadband network that their iPads can't connect to. We don't even have that, although UK 4G broadband trials should soon address that, and before long, we too will be among the nations with 4G networks that iPads don't know about and can't connect to.Never mind asking which countries the iPad can do 4G in. It's actually quicker to list the countries where the iPad can connect to 4G. Ready?
America.
Canada.
We're done!
You can understand why the Australians are angry. If somebody sells a 4G device in a country where there's a 4G network, you shouldn't have to say "ah, but which 4G? Is it our 4G, or their 4G?" because that would be stupid.
It'd be like buying swimming trunks and asking "do they work in our water, or just American water?"
It's okay for you and I, because we know what 4G is (faster) and where we can't get it (anywhere), but the average person seeing that the iPad Wi-Fi + 4G "connects to the Internet over Wi-Fi and fast mobile data networks" is going to take that to mean 4G.
Chucking in small print that says it "can roam worldwide on fast GSM/UMTS networks, including HSPA, HSPA+, and DC-HSDPA...can also connect to the 4G LTE networks of AT&T in the U.S. and Bell, Rogers, and Telus in Canada" is completely meaningless to the average person, and I'm sure Apple knows it.
I understand what Apple's trying to do here -- simplify its product range -- but there's a difference between simplification and outright fibbing. I think outside North America, calling anything 4G falls into the latter category.
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Review: Sony Alpha a57
Introduction
We have now received a production sample of the Sony Alpha a57 and are currently putting it through its paces.In the meantime, you can find some sample images shot with the camera on the next page, each with links to the full high-res image.
Sony announced the a57 in March 2012, with it featuring a 16.1 million pixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor teamed with a BIONZ image processing engine.
Other key specs include a 15 point AF system with 3 cross sensors, full HD video recording and 'Auto Portrait Framing'. So far, we have found focusing to be quick and accurate, locking on to subjects with ease without hunting around.
As it is a DSLT, not a DSLR, the a57 features an 1400k dot electronic viewfinder, which we have found to be very good during our initial testing - it's not quite at the stage where you forget you're using one, but it's not too far off.
The camera will automatically switch between rear screen and EVF as soon as the eye is brought up to the viewfinder, which is handy and saves having to press a button every time you want to use it - although one of those is included as well if you solely want to use the viewfinder.
Initial impressions of the image quality are good, with well represented colours and sharp detail. We'll be looking to put this more thoroughly to the test as the review progresses.
Sony has added a number of creative shooting options, including toy camera and pop colour. While these are a fun addition, it's a shame that you can't use these when shooting in raw, as it would have been nice to have the option to remove the art filter, should you decide at a later date that you didn't like it.
Also on the back of the camera is an adjustable 7.5 cm (3 inch) Xtra Fine LCD screen which is useful for shooting low and unusual angle pictures.
Sample images
All images are JPEGs taken straight from the camera, with no processing applied. All have been shot with the supplied 18-55mm kit lens.
See high res image.
Even when shooting with the kit lens, an impressive amount of background blur can be acheived.
See high res image.
We had to adjust the compensation to EV+1 to capture this image, as underexposure can be a problem in lower light situations when using an SLT.
See high res image.
Colours are represented well straight from the a57, with these whites appearing particularly vibrant.
See high res image.
The Sony a57 has 9 autofocus points to select from, allowing you to choose the focal point of the image.
See high res image.
We found the a57's autofocus system to be quick and accurate, with the ability to lock onto subjects with ease.
See high res image.
Again colours have been represented well here, while there is also a good degree of background blur.
Stay tuned for our full review in due course.
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Review: Apple TV
Introduction
At the same time as announcing the new iPad in March 2012, Apple also issued an update to its Apple TV.It wasn't the full on Apple iTV, the rumoured Apple television that many had hopped for, rather it was a small revision to the existing media streamer of last year, retaining the same form factor but with an updated menu system and faster processor.
The biggest change though is its new ability to stream and play full 1080p HD movies - last year's model could only manage 720p, which was all the iTunes Store offered for movie rentals and purchasing anyway.
Of course, this means that Apple is going to have to update a lot of its iTunes Store catalogue to 1080p for you to get the most out of it, but most new movies were being offered in 1080p when we checked.
As well as enabling you to purchase and rent movies Apple TV does two other things of note - it acts as a browser for selected Internet content (YouTube, Vimeo, Netflix, iCloud, Podcasts, etc) and thanks to Apple's AirPlay system it can receive content streamed from a Mac, PC or iOS device and play it on your television.
And, just to be clear, here's what it can't do - most importantly you still can't use it to watch free-to-air TV channels, so it's not a proper Set-top Box solution, and you can't use it to browse the full web or do email, like you can with an iPad.
The full implications of this become clearer when you realise that some popular web sites, which would make total sense to be access via an Apple TV, are unavailable, like the BBC's iPlayer (though you can watch iPlayer on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad then use AirPlay to send it to your your Apple TV).
And because you're in Apple's locked-down world there are no third-party apps available for the Apple TV which could add these features in - you have to wait for Apple to officially support them via a software update.
In fact, the Apple TV isn't designed to be customised at all - you have the feature set that Apple provides, and that's it.
In the box
In the box you get the Apple TV, which is a small black box measuring only 23mm x 98mm x 98mm that weighs just 0.27kg, a nice-looking aluminum remote with very few buttons, some setup instructions and a power lead.
The Apple TV has exactly the same ports and connectors on the back as before. There's an ethernet port, an Optical Audio port and a HDMI port for connection to your TV. You'll also notice a Micro-USB port, but this has no use for the home user - it's just for Apple's Geniuses to use when diagnosing problems.
The Apple TV processor has been upgraded to the A5 chip to cope with 1080p HD movie playback. iFixit has done a teardown on the Apple TV and found that the Broadcom 4330 Wi-Fi chip inside also supports Bluetooth 4.0+HS, although it currently makes no use of this technology - it's possible that the functionality could be added in a future update.
The current Apple Remote uses Infrared, this requires line of site to your Apple TV, which can be a pain - a Bluetooth remote would be far superior.
Setup process
Connection to your TV is via a HDMI cable, but be aware that there isn't one in the box, so you have to purchase that separately.The first surprise with the new Apple TV compared to the previous generation is that once you connect it up to your TV is that it talks to you! A voice asks you if you'd like to enable the Voice Over feature by clicking a button on the remote three times.
Voice Over reads out what the menu option you've currently got selected is, so it will be a very useful feature for visually impaired users who need extra help navigating the menu systems.
Proceeding on, you set up the usual things like language then select a WiFi network - if you've never done this before then it will be your first encounter with the Apple TV's tedious way of entering text and numbers - you have an alphabetically ordered block of letters that you have to have to slowly manoeuvre around using the remote's click wheel.
It's frustrating to use because the layout is so unfamiliar - having the letters arranged like a computer keyboard would have been more intuitive.
Going through the process of painfully entering your WiFi password one character at a time using this input method only to realise you got one of the characters wrong and have to do it all over again is heartbreaking, especially when at this stage you just want to get on with enjoying all the great content your Apple TV promises.
It's a shame Apple still use this input method because everything else about the Apple TV is so easy to use it stands in sharp contrast to other media streamers.
Interface
Once the setup is done you're into the main Apple TV interface, which has had a complete refresh for this outing.
In an effort to simplify, and at the same time allow for expansion, Apple has taken a more iOS-style approach to the Apple TV's interface. While it has received criticism from certain quarters, we like it.
Instead of text-based menus everything is now represented by an icon, just like on iOS. The icons are flatter and wider than their iOS counterparts, but you can clearly see where Apple has drawn its inspiration. As you move around the menus selecting each icon, text appears underneath it to tell you what it's for, which means you never feel confused or lost.
At the top of the interface you have a sideways scrolling carousel of the latest movie releases. Typical rent price of a new HD movie is £4.49 ($4.99) - this is expensive compared to, say, Sky Box Office, which was offering Twighlight Breaking Dawn and Moneyball for just £2 in the UK store when we checked, but obviously you need a paid-for Sky account to access this service.
iTunes was still over twice the price for the same movies though. Obviously you'll need a decent broadband connection to rent movies using Apple TV but there are some advantage to Apple's system. For example, it's more convenient.
You don't have to wait for a specific movie start time. Instead just choose your movie and it starts downloading whenever you want. Apple TV seemed to need about 5 minutes of buffering before you can start watching your streaming download, which isn't an unreasonable time to wait.
You also get a page of information about each movie, including a cast list, customer reviews, and links to similar movies in an Amazon-style 'Viewers also brought' before you decide to purchase. It's also possible to watch movie's trailer by clicking the Preview button, which is handy.
Once you've purchased an iTunes movie you have 30 days to start watching, and 48 hours to finish watching after you've started. The best feature is that you can view across multiple devices, so you could start watching on your Apple TV and finish watching on your computer. However, this is only available on Standard Definition films, which rules out all new film releases and seriously hobbles what would be an otherwise brilliant feature.
On the whole, the range of new titles is good, and easily comparable to Sky Box Office, and there's also an impressive back catalogue of films.
But Apple TV isn't just about film - moving down the interface our next stop after Movies is TV Shows. Here you'll find an impressive collection of shows buy. The promoted shows here have a UK-bias, which is good, but there are a lot of American shows also. Want to catch up on series 4 of Madmen? Not a problem. It's £2.49 ($2.99) an episode to buy (there are no rentals available for TV programmes.)
Next is an option called Music - this is only for subscribers to Apple's iTunes Match service (£24.99/$29.99 a year). If you're a Match subscriber then you'll be able to access your entire iTunes music collection from here, although you're likely to have your computer in the house as well and it's easy to connect to it from the Apple TV anyway, which brings us onto the next icon: Computers.
By tapping on Computers your Apple TV will automatically find any computer on your Wi-Fi network that has the same Apple ID login on iTunes. The fact that your computer just appears here without you having to interact with a single dialog box or window is to Apple's credit.
Here you can access your music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, iTunes U and photos from your local machine. The streaming over Wi-Fi is flawless, as you'd expect.
The next icon is Settings, which has all the technical options you'll need, but also your screen saver settings. It's worth mentioning these because some gorgeous new National Geographic pictures have been added as a screen saver option.
Our favourite setting though is Photo Stream, but more of that later. Whichever screen saver you go for you'll find a wide choice of different themes – all of which make the photos look gorgeous.
Netflix, which has been a feature of the US Apple TV for a while now, was launched in the UK recently and is now available in the interface. A subscription costs £5.99 a month in the UK, for which you get to watch an unlimited amount of its content. The amount and selection of new films on Netflix is disappointing, but parents will appreciate the endless amount of kids' cartoon programs at their fingers.
Also on the Apple TV interface are options for browsing YouTube, Vimeo, Wall Street Journal and MLB (that's Major League Baseball – subscription required) – none of these have changed in this update, so they're not worth mentioning in detail.
Photo Stream is new though – it's an iCloud-related feature that owners of iPhones will love. Once you've turned Photo Stream on any picture that you've taken on your iPhone (or iPad and iPod touch) will automatically get added to your Photo Stream once you are connected to a Wi-Fi connection.
So, you take a few pictures with your iPhone while out and about, then once you walk through the door of your house you can turn to your Apple TV and view them via the Photo Stream icon. The speed and convenience of Photo Stream can't be denied.
Another new option in the interface is Trailers – this isn't really anything new, just a quicker way of getting to movie trailers, which include trailers for theatrical releases, which are great to have.
Performance
We tested renting a 1080p HD movie using a standard Sky broadband connection at home and found it took about 5 minutes before it was ready to play, which is acceptable.Apple TV tells you how many minutes are left before your movie can play, but its way of calculating time seemed highly flawed with estimates jumping from 1 minute left, to 2 hours 40 minutes, then back to two minutes!
It seemed better to ignore the messages and look at the download bar at the bottom of the screen instead. Once playing there was no buffering and the connection didn't ever drop. As you'd expect for 1080p, the picture quality was superb.
Netflix was equally smooth in playback, and most programmes started playing pretty much instantly. Obviously the performance will be effected by the quality of your Internet connection, but if there are problems we don't think it will be Apple TV's fault.
AirPlay over our Wi-Fi network to the Apple TV was rock solid - you simply tap the AirPlay icon on your iOS device, or click the button in iTunes, as a video is playing, select Apple TV and it starts playing on your TV a few seconds later.
The big disappointment for most people here will be how restrictive Apple's AirPlay is - it only officially works with content that you have inside your iTunes library on a Mac or PC, or content you have on one of your iOS devices. However that's not the end of the story - there are work arounds.
For example, if you want to play unsupported video formats like WMV, XVID or MKV on an iPad then you can thanks to third party apps, like AVPlayerHD. Attempting to send these videos from the app to Apple TV using your iPad however results in only the audio being played.
However, if you turn on AirPlay Mirroring on your iPad (which mirrors its entire screen on your Apple TV) then you can watch these videos on your Apple TV. It adds an extra step to the process, but it works well although you are limited to a pillar box sized screen with mirroring
For full 16:9 resolution you need the help of an app called Air Video which installs a server program on your Mac or PC that encodes the video, while an iOS app beams it to your Apple TV.
When it comes to watching paid-for content everything just works flawlessly, as you'd expect it to. Purchasing content is handled effortlessly with your Apple ID, which the Apple TV remembers, so you simply need to enter your password whenever you want to buy something and it's yours.
Perhaps the most outstanding feature of Apple TV though is just how easy it is to use. It's still better than all the other media streamers we've tried.
You're in Apple's world here and in Apple world everything just works. Even the potentially troublesome issues of software updates are like water off a duck's back to Apple TV - you just get a message saying there's a software update available and would you like to install it now.
Navigating the menu system is child's play - and the fact that the remote has so few buttons means that children can use it too, without accidentally resetting the time zone or something equally dire. The number of clicks required to get to your content is also refreshingly small, and the way the whole menu system responds quickly and intuitively to your clicks means you genuinely enjoy using it, rather than it feeling like the thing that stands between you and your content, which is so often the case in media streaming interfaces. Apple has put a lot of thought into the Apple TV interface, and it shows.
Verdict
It's really when you own an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad that owning an Apple TV makes the most sense. All Apple's devices know how to play nicely with each other, so you can use an Apple TV to mirror the screen of your iOS device and have everything it displays appear on your HD television.The most obvious use for this is for showing off photos you've taken on your iPhone, or a Keynote presentation you've created on your iPad, but some iOS games, like Counter Strike, take advantage of this feature in new and exciting ways, enabling you to use your iPhone as a game controller while watching the gameplay on your TV.
What's more with the new version of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion due out this summer, Apple are bringing this ability to the Mac, so you'll be able to mirror your computer on your TV screen too.
We liked:
If you already have all your video content in iTunes, then all the other features Apple TV offers start to make it stand out from the crowd. Renting and buying movies works flawlessly and there's a great selection of the latest releases and a large, growing back catalogue.The YouTube, Vimeo, Podcast and Movie Trailers are all features you'll find genuinely useful, but it's Photos that we really liked the most. It makes your snaps look beautiful, with fantastic slideshow effects, and the iCloud integration via Photostream means that any photos you've taken using an iOS device automatically get beamed to your Apple TV a few seconds after you walk through the door at home. That's impressive. AirPlay is a rock solid streaming system and simply can't be beaten for reliability.
We disliked:
If you're simply looking for a way to stream media from your computer to your television then perhaps Apple TV shouldn't be your first choice. You'll find Apple's AirPlay system fantastically easy to use, but it's currently too restrictive, making you dance through hoops to get your content into iTunes.In addition to the iOS app workarounds we mentioned there are lots of free video encoder programmes on the market that will convert video to the .m4a file format that iTunes demands, it's a real pain having to spend an hour encoding a video into a new format before iTunes will recognise it, so you'll be able to stream it from your computer to your Apple TV.
The Apple Remote requiring line of sight is a bit restrictive too, let's hope a Bluetooth options becomes available in the future.
With Netflix now available in the UK the selection of apps that Apple TV sports is starting to look a little less US-centric, but it still needs more UK-specific content, like iPlayer, 4OD and ITV Player.
Verdict:
If you've already got some Apple devices in your home then Apple TV is a natural fit and at this price you should really consider getting one because it integrates wonderfully with your current setup.But for everyone else, even with the addition of 1080p HD, there's no compelling reason to buy an Apple TV over other media streamers right now.
If only Apple could sort out integrating iPlayer, 4OD and ITV Player into the menu system and make AirPlay a little less restrictive, because then Apple TV would be a must-have product for everybody.
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Dixons: UltraViolet isn't going to disappear
The retail industry is completely behind UltraViolet, with retail group Dixons backing it for the long haul.
This is according to Gary Hearns, senior category manager of video at Dixons, who believes the digital locker service will be the mainstay digital service of the future.
Dixons is no stranger to the idea of digital movies. It announced its own service Knowhow in February and the retailer believes that adding UltraViolet into the mix will not only be beneficial for customers, it will help with the digital transition.
"UltraViolet is backed by the entire ecosystem – this thing is not going to disappear in 12-18 months, this is permanent," explained Hearns speaking at the PEVE conference in London, with TechRadar in attendance.
When asked about the other options for digital, Hearns was adamant that UV was the way to go for consumers who want physical copies and also take their first steps into digital.
Digital migration
"UltraViolet is the only way we see customers migrating from disc to digital. "Everything from the DRM to working on different devices, UltraViolet removes that work for people like us and all these things will help people migrate from the physical to the digital world."Dixons: "UltraViolet is backed by the entire ecosystem – this thing is not going to disappear in 12-18 months, this is permanent."
Although Dixons is embracing UltraViolet, there's still no word on when it will reveal its service in the UK, with Hearns merely explaining: "We announced in February that we would launch an UltraViolet retail service, and that is on track."When it arrives, Dixons' customers that buy discs or devices from the store will automatically get a digital download and the ability to stream the movie within Knowhow.
Sainsbury's was also asked about UltraViolet and, although it revealed that it backed the service, it was a little more reticent.
Technical elements
"There are a few technical elements of UltraViolet that are coming together and there are educational problems," said Mark Bennett, head of home entertainment at Sainsbury's."But from our perspective we said we are launching an on-demand service and we want UltraViolet to be at the heart of it but we need some of these things to come together."
What both retailers did agree with was that even though both retailers would offer UltraViolet services through their stores, they would be focused on offering their own incentives and not promoting what the other would be doing.
"The interoperability between retailers is ambitious for UV and we will see how this works," said Bennett.
"We won't be going out with this sort of message, but we will be going out with our own selling points for the service."
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Review: Philips Brilliance 273P3QPYES
Low-cost 23-inch IPS panels are all the rage right now, but what if you've a little more to spend on a monitor and fancy something bigger, something more dramatic, perhaps something more cinematic? If that sounds like your bag, the new Philips Brilliance 273P3QPYES would like a moment of your time.
It's a 27-inch beast with a premium panel. But this time, it's not IPS but AMVA.
If you're wondering what that means, the simple version is that this is a Vertical Alignment or VA screen. Historically, that's made for really rich colours and the best contrast and black levels of any LCD screen.
However, VA also tends to come up short regarding horizontal viewing angles and pixel response. So the Philips Brilliance 273P3QPYES is both intriguingly placed and has plenty to prove.
There are several gaming and media-orientated screens with TN panels, such as the BenQ XL2420T, available for significantly less than the Philips' £350 asking price, and fellow Philips model, the Philips Brilliance 248C3LHSB.
Meanwhile, the Hazro HZ27WA matches the Philips' 27 inches and adds IPS technology and a much higher native resolution.
Game on.
Vital stats
Size - 27-inch
Panel technology - AMVA
Backlight - LED
Native resolution - 1,920 x 1,080
Inputs - DVI, DisplayPort, VGA
Size - 27-inch
Panel technology - AMVA
Backlight - LED
Native resolution - 1,920 x 1,080
Inputs - DVI, DisplayPort, VGA
With IPS experiencing a resurgence and TN technology still dominant at the low end, we haven't seen too many VA screens of late. So, it's nice to get back into the saddle and experience what the latest generation is capable of.
If the new Philips Brilliance 273P3QPYES - and its little brother the Philips Brilliance 241P4QPYES - is anything to go by, VA still has plenty to offer.
Its most obvious strengths are colours and contrast. This panel pops with visual pizazz, thanks to spectacular colours and really super black levels.
Thanks to the LED backlight and a smooth, near grain-free anti-glare coating, this monitor also delivers superbly clean and consistent whites, too. It mostly sailed through our suite of test images, cranking out perfect gradients and loads of detail and fidelity in the various black, white and colour scales.
Another upside is the fully adjustable stand, which makes life so much easier when it comes to getting the monitor properly positioned for serious work or just great gaming. It's nice to have the choice of DVI, DisplayPort and VGA connectivity, too.
If that's the good news, the bad is that one or two of the traditional niggles that effect VA panels make an appearance on the Philips Brilliance 273P3QPYES.
For starters, while the vertical viewings are impeccable, the horizontal or side-to-side angles are notably less stellar. What's more, the pixel response is a little off-key. Philips has included three levels of user configurable overdrive to offset this particular VA weakness. But crank it up to the max and our old friend inverse ghosting saunters into the frame.
We liked
When it comes to colours and contrast, you can't beat a VA panel.Consequently, the Philips Brilliance 273P3QPYES looks that little bit richer and more vibrant than even the best IPS monitors, which is great for HD video.
It has a great stand and plenty of inputs, too.
We disliked
27 inches is big for a 1920 x 1080 pixel screen - 27 inchers with 2560 x 1440 grids are certainly preferable for desktop productivity.Meanwhile, the dated appearance of the chassis is a bit off-putting at this price. Hardcore gamers will probably prefer better pixel response, too.
Verdict
The Philips Brilliance 273P3QPYES is great for watching HD video content, but flawed for desktop productivity and gaming.
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Ridley Scott: Making Prometheus in 3D is really easy
Legendary director Ridley Scott has told Total Film that working with 3D has been easy; as he puts the finishing touches to his latest movie Prometheus.
The Alien prequel is already marked out as one of the major movies of the year, and represents Scott's first foray into 3D, but the transition has apparently been relatively easy.
"I'm kind of naturally visual anyway, that's where I come from and you're working off superb 3D screens, which are on the floor, and are really big. It was just wonderful," Scott told Total Film.
"I was shooting on 3D, then seeing it on the floor. It was easy, I must say."
Visual effect
Scott believes that you have to be careful to use 3D in the right way, or it becomes a gimmick."You only want to push it so far, before it becomes arrows popping out of the screen and stabbing you in the eye. You use it for visual effect.
"I'm actually deciding right now how deep to make it on certain sequences…you can literally, as it were, twiddle a knob, and the depth will increase.
"It's kind of bizarre, but there it is. Technologically it's absolutely staggering.
"I was working with MPC in London, looking after almost 1,300 big FX shots, and every night they would pipe through shots to a big screen in my office in Lexington Street.
"I would sit there watching a sequence that had just been graded or refined in perfect 3D. Really amazing."
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Updated: What happens to your web stuff when you die?
What happens to your web stuff when you die?
For all its joys, technology can't yet make us live forever - but if we want it to, it can ensure our digital footprints remain online long after we've shuffled off this mortal coil.Things have changed quite considerably in the last few years as the digital generation has grown up, grown old and in some cases, died: sites that didn't really think about their customers dying, such as Facebook now have policies and procedures in place to memorialise the dead.
Facebook is arguably the most important site for remembering people, as it's where hundreds of millions of us connect with family and friends online. In the event of somebody's death, their relatives can use a form to ask Facebook to "memorialise" their page.
This changes the way the deceased person's page works, so it will no longer be available to anyone who wasn't already a Facebook friend of that person and it no longer turns up in search results. While friends and family can leave "posts in remembrance," the account itself is locked down and cannot be modified.
As with most online services, Facebook accounts can also be shut down altogether when somebody dies, although to do that you'll need to provide official documentation such as a death certificate.
Services such as Flickr and Windows Live have similar processes in place, and in the case of Windows Live Microsoft has a defined Next of Kin Process that also enables verified family members to access the deceased's Hotmail and Messenger contact lists as well as to shut the accounts down. Google has a similar process for Gmail accounts.
Keeping your stuff online
What happens if you don't want your accounts to expire? The short answer is "it depends".Many services have inactivity polices that suspend or remove accounts that appear to be unused - for example, Twitter monitors " a combination of tweeting, logging in, and the date an account was created" - and anything reliant on a domain name that you own has a built-in time limit: in most cases, domains are registered for a period of two years, and if you don't renew them then the domains go back on the market.
And of course, paid-for web hosting and other online storage services only last for as long as the bills are being paid.
Not all paid-for accounts are deleted if you stop paying, though: in the case of paid-for Flickr Pro accounts, if you aren't around to renew the subscription, your account simply reverts to a standard, free account - which means that some of your sets and high-res images may no longer be visible to visitors, but sets and images aren't deleted.
If the account is upgraded again to a Pro account, the 'missing' images will reappear. It's worth pointing out, however, that Flickr accounts are non-transferable, so a relative accessing your account is technically in breach of Yahoo's terms and conditions.
Some other things aren't transferable, either: your iTunes music collection, for example, or your Kindle ebook library. With digital goods you pay for a licence to use the content rather than ownership of the content, and such licenses are usually non-transferable.
We very much doubt that any firm would be nasty enough or dumb enough to actively try and stop bereaved relatives from listening to your purchased music, watching your movies or reading your books, but if you want to pass on your digital media then it's a very good idea to pass on your login details or convert everything into DRM-free formats while you're still around.
Where there's a will...
If you're serious about keeping your online presence going, you should think about a digital will and an executor, somebody who can handle your affairs when you're gone. The executor will need your various login details, of course, and if there's stuff on your computer or online services you'd rather the family didn't see you can always ask the executor to delete specific content.Inevitably there are companies who will handle this for you for a fee, but there's no reason why you can't put digital details in an ordinary will or just have a big envelope marked "to be open in the event of my death" in a place where your relatives will find it. If part of your wishes involve spending money - keeping paid-for accounts going, renewing domain names and so on - then it would be polite to leave some cash for that too.
If all else fails, there's always the Internet Archive. It won't archive your Flickr pics or password-protected content, but it does a decent job of archiving publicly available web pages. If your site isn't already in the index, you can add it via Alexa.
We might not live forever, but some of our online stuff might.
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Amazon Kindle Fire 2 to launch three models
Fresh reports suggest that online retail giant Amazon is actually lining up three different models of its forthcoming Kindle Fire 2 tablet.
We reported earlier this month that Amazon may be looking at releasing a 7-inch and 10-inch version of the Kindle Fire 2, but news from Taiwan says you can add another one in there too.
According to a number of Taiwanese publications we are set to see three versions of Amazon's next Android-powered tablet: two 7-inch models and an 8.9-inch variant.
Anyone for a threesome?
It's been reported that the 7-inch models will sport different screen resolutions, one with a budget-friendly 1024 x 600 display and the other with a mid-range 1280 x 800 screen.The larger 8.9-inch Amazon Kindle Fire 2 is said to pack a full HD (1920 x 1200) display – which is unprecedented for a sub 10-inch tablet (the new iPad aside).
No other details are known at this time, but if the reports are true expect the 8.9-inch version, with its HD display, to compete with the new iPad.
Apple may be looking over its shoulder as Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet was very competitively priced – and we expect the same from the next generation.
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Apple patent hints at iTV plans
A patent filed by Apple back in 2008 seems to confirm that the company is working on some kind of television, perhaps even the long-rumoured Apple iTV.
It's a very technical document detailing Apple's work on high refresh rate LCDs, a technique called "fringe field switching" which shares an abbreviation with an altogether more aggressive exclamation (FFS).
The patent outlines how Apple's work would allow FFS to be used on a larger screened HDTV, and employs techniques already found in the iMac.
Fringe field
So, wait – much ado about nothing: this patent must just relate to the iMac? Well, not necessarily, as the document specifically mentions televisions as well:"Embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as flat screen television set 700 with display 701," it reads, before going on to list other uses – phones, music players, laptops, desktops and "other types of devices" (this is before the advent of the iPad, of course).
So does this mean Apple will definitely launch a television at some point in the future? Of course not – but it's definitely one to add to the ever-growing pile of increasingly concrete speculation that it will.
And if that's not enough rumour and speculation for you, check out our video roundup of Apple's mythical TV set below:
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iPhone 5 entering production soon?
The iPhone 5 may be about to go into production over in China after it was revealed that Foxconn is recruiting more staff to work specially on the new handset.
A local news station in China has reported that the Foxconn factory, which makes the majority of Apple products, is "urgently" hiring 20,000 workers so it can start the production of the iPhone 5.
The same factory is currently experiencing worker strikes and the new recruitment drive may be a way to bring in a wave of new staff ahead of its important iPhone 5 production.
iPhone 5 is actually the sixth
Although we're dubbing it the iPhone 5, the next iPhone will actually be the sixth iteration of the popular handset – leading us to think we could see another 'new iPad' style name change – because Apple is just that darn unpredictable.After the anti-climax of the iPhone 4S release last year, we're expecting big things from the next iPhone, as Apple needs to step up its game to tackle the incoming HTC One X, LG Optimus 4X HD and Samsung Galaxy S3.
We expect to see the iPhone 5 release date set for this later this year, in line with Apple's new annual product cycle.
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Updated: 50 best free Android games 2012
50 best free Android games 2012
As Android phones and tablets have increased in popularity, the number of apps available for the platform has rocketed.And that means more free Android games. There's a lot of junk out there but, fortunately, there are gems among the junk.
We've worked our way through a whole load of Android games to reveal the ones you should download to your phone.
If we've missed your favourite free Android game, let us know in the comments.
We also have a video run down of the top 10:
1. Angry Birds
The amazingly popular iOS game moved to Android a while ago, earning over two million downloads during its first weekend of availability.
The Android version is free, unlike the Apple release, with maker Rovio opting to stick a few adverts on it rather than charge an upfront fee. The result is a massive and very challenging physics puzzler that's incredibly polished and professional. For free. It defies all the laws of modern retail.
Angry Birds for Android was first available to download from app store GetJar but is now available through Google Play.
2. Bebbled
Bebbled is your standard gem-shuffling thing, only presented in a professional style you wouldn't be surprised to see running on something featuring a Nintendo badge with an asking price of £19.99.
You only drop gems on other gems to nuke larger groups of the same colour, but with ever-tightening demands for score combos and scenes that require you to rotate your phone to flip the play field on its head, Bebbled soon morphs into an incredibly complex challenge.
3. Red Stone
There's an awful lot of square-shuffling games on Android and Red Stone is one of the best. And one of the hardest. You start off with a big fat 'King' square that's four times of the normal 'pawn' squares, then set about shuffling things so the fat King can get through to an exit at the top of the screen.
It's hard to accurately describe a puzzle game in the written word, but seriously, it's a good game.
4. Newton
Released a few months back in beta form, Newton is a maths/physics challenge that has you lining up shots at a target - but having to contend with the laws of nature, in the form of pushers, pullers, benders (no laughing), mirrors and traps, all deflecting your shot from its target.
The developer is still adding levels to it at the moment, so one day Newton might be finished and might cost money. But for now it's free and a great indie creation.
5. Sketch Online
Surprisingly free of crude representations of the male genitalia, Sketch Online is a sociable guessing game where users do little drawings then battle to correctly guess what's being drawn first. It's like Mavis Beacon for the Bebo generation. The version labelled "Beta" is free, and if you like it there's the option to pay for an ad-free copy. But Google can't make you. Yet.
6. Drop
Some might call Drop a game, others might classify it as a tech demo that illustrates the accuracy of the Android platform's accelerometer, thanks to how playing it simply involves tilting your phone while making a little bouncy ball falls between gaps in the platforms. Either way it'll amuse you for a while and inform you of the accuracy of your accelerometer - a win-win situation.
7. Frozen Bubble
Another key theme of the independent Android gaming scene is (ports of) clones of popular titles. Like Frozen Bubble, which is based around the ancient and many-times-copied concept of firing gems up a screen to make little groups of similarly coloured clusters. That's what you do. You've probably done it a million times before, so if it's your thing get this downloaded.
8. Replica Island
Replica Island is an extremely polished platform game that pulls off the shock result of being very playable on an Android trackball. The heavy momentum of the character means you're only switching direction with the ball or d-pad, letting you whizz about the levels with ease. Then there's jumping, bottom-bouncing, collecting and all the other usual platform formalities.
9. Gem Miner
In Gem Miner you are a sort of mole character that likes to dig things out of the ground. But that's not important. The game itself has you micro-managing the raw materials you find, upgrading your digging powers and buying bigger and better tools and maps. Looks great, plays well on Android's limited button array. Go on, suck the very life out of the planet.
10. ConnecToo
Another coloured-square-based puzzle game, only ConnecToo has you joining them up. Link red to red, then blue to blue - then see if you've left a pathway through to link yellow to yellow. You probably haven't, so delete it all and try again.
A brilliantly simple concept. ConnecToo used to be a paid-for game, but was recently switched to an ad-supported model - meaning it now costs you £0.00.
11. Titres
Once you're successfully rewired your brain's 25 years of playing Tetris in a certain way with certain buttons and got used to tapping the screen to rotate your blocks, it's... Tetris.
It hinges on how much you enjoy placing things with your phone's trackball or pad. If you're good at it, it's a superb Tetris clone. Let's hope it doesn't get sued out of existence.
UPDATE: While Titres seems to have been removed from Google Play, there's now an official Tetris app available to download.
12. Trap!
Not the best-looking game you'll ever play, with its shabby brown backgrounds and rudimentary text making it look like something you'd find running on a PC in the year 1985. But Trap! is good.
You draw lines to box in moving spheres, gaining points for cordoning off chunks of the screen. That sounds rubbish, so please invest two minutes of your time having a go on it so you don't think we're talking nonsense.
13. Jewels
Coloured gems again, and this time your job is to switch pairs to make larger groups which then disappear. That might also sound quite familiar. The good thing about Jewels is its size and presentation, managing to look professional while packing in more levels than should really be given away for free.
14. OpenSudoku
We had to put one Sudoku game in here, so we'll go with OpenSudoku - which lives up to its open tag thanks to letting users install packs of new puzzles generated by Sudoku makers. It's entirely possible you could use this to play new Sudoku puzzles for the rest of your life, if that's not too terrifying a thought.
15. Abduction!
Abduction! is a sweet little platform jumping game, presented in a similarly quirky and hand-drawn style as the super-fashionable Doodle Jump. You can't argue with cute cows and penguins with parachutes, or a game that's easy to play with one hand thanks to its super accessible accelerometer controls.
16. The Great Land Grab
A cross between a map tool and Foursquare, The Great Land Grab sorts your local area into small rectangular packets of land - which you take ownership of by travelling through them in real-time and buying them up.
Then someone else nicks them off you the next day, a bit like real-world Risk. A great idea, as long as you don't mind nuking your battery by leaving your phone sitting there on the train with its GPS radio on.
17. Brain Genius Deluxe
Our basic legal training tells us it's better to use the word "homage" than to label something a "rip-off", so we'll recommend this as a simple "homage" to the famed Nintendo Brain Training franchise.
Clearly Brain Genius Deluxe is not going to be as slick, but there's enough content in here to keep you "brain training" (yes, it even uses that phrase) until your battery dies. The presentation's painfully slow, but then again that might be the game teaching you patience.
18. Coloroid
Coloroid is aery, very simple and has the look of the aftermath of an explosion in a Tetris factory, but it works. All you do is expand coloured areas, trying to fill them in with colours in as few moves as possible - like using Photoshop's fill tool at a competitive level.
19. Cestos
Cestos is sort of a futuristic recreation of curling, where players chuck marbles at each other to try and smash everyone else's balls/gems down the drain and out of the zone. The best part is this all happens online against real humans, so as long as there's a few other bored people out there at the same time you'll have a real, devious, cheating, quitting person to play against. Great.
20. Air Control
One of the other common themes on the Android gaming scene is clones of games based around pretending to be an air traffic controller, where you guide planes to landing strips with a swish of your finger. There are loads of them, all pretty much the same thing - we've chosen Air Control as it's an ad-supported release, so is technically free.
21. GalaxIR
GalaxIR is a futuristic strategy game with an abstract look, where players micro-manage an attacking alien fleet. Pick a planet, pick an attack point, then hope your troops have the balls to carry it off. There's not much structure to the game as yet, but that's what you get when you're on the bleeding-edge of free, independent Android gaming development.
22. Graviturn
Graviturn is an accelerometer based maze game, where the aim is to roll a red ball out of a maze by tilting your phone around. Seems embarrassingly easy at first, until increasing numbers of green balls appear on screen. If any green balls roll off the screen you die and have to try again. It's abstract. It's good.
23. Alchemy Classic
There are a few variants on Alchemy out there, each offering a similarly weird experience. In Alchemy Classic you match up elements to create their (vaguely) scientific offspring, so dumping water onto earth makes a swamp, and so on. It's a brain teaser thing and best played by those who enjoy spending many hours in the company of the process of elimination.
24. ActionPotato
In ActionPotato you control three pots. Pressing on the pots makes them jump up into the air, where they harvest potatoes. See how many you can get in a row. That's the gist of it. And don't collect the rotten potatoes, else you die. That really is it. The Google Play stats say this is on well over 1,000,000 downloads, so it's doing something right.
25. Scrambled Net
Scrambled Net is based around the age-old concept of lining up pipes and tubes, but has been jazzed up with images of computer terminals, high score tracking and animations. Still looks like something you'd have played on a Nokia during the last decade, but it's free - and looking rubbish hardly stopped Snake from taking off, did it?
25 more brilliant free Android games
26. DropwordsDropwords is laid out like your standard Android block-based puzzle game, the difference here is we're not dealing with gems - you make blocks disappear by spelling out words from the jumbled heap of letters. There's not an enormous amount of point to it, but you can at least submit your scores and best words to the server, where an AI version of Susie Dent will pass her approval.
27. Barrr
What you do in Barrr is man-manage a bar world, pointing men at the beers, games or tattoo parlour, then taking their money off them once they're drunk and happy like a good capitalist. And make sure they go to the toilet. Things, as things do in games, soon start speeding up and it gets rather insane and difficult.
28. Tetronimo
The name gives it away - this is a Tetris clone. Or rather it's a game that uses the same sort of block-shifting rules as Tetris, only with a very nice and user friendly touchscreen area beneath the block pit to make it easy to play. We're having trouble locating this on Google Play at time of writing - either a glitch or the inevitable legal troubles.
UPDATE: Tetronimo seems to have been removed from Google Play, but there's now an official Tetris app available to download.
29. Wordfeud
Wordfeud is a superb little clone of Scrabble, with a big, clear screen and online play options that actually work. The game's been offered for free with some hefty advertising over it thanks to the developer being based in Norway - which only received paid-for app sales support recently. A paid version may arrive soon, but Wordfeud remains free right now.
30. Friction Mobile
Friction Mobile is a very odd concept that makes no sense in still images. You fire a ball into the screen, then try to hit that ball with other balls until it explodes. The catch is you're not allowed to bounce balls backwards into your own face. Because then you die. Sounds rubbish, but works well. It's free, so give it a no-obligation, no-commitment whirl.
31. Geared
Geared is a weird little thing finally converted over to Android from iPhone. It's an embarrassingly simple concept - players slot different sized cogs into place on the screen, with the aim being to power one gear from another. Then, as is video game tradition, it gets harder and harder. Plus there are 150 levels of it all.
32. Meganoid
A stunning little retro game, Meganoid plays and looks like something that ought to be running on a Nintendo emulator. But it isn't. It's new and on Android. It's a speed-based challenge, using on-screen or accelerometer controls to jump and bounce through ever-hardening levels. Developer Orange Pixel is aggressively supporting it, too, with constant map packs, characters and more regularly appearing for download.
33. Cordy
A standard and traditional platform game. Cordy is a speed-based affair, with players running, jumping and collecting their way through its pretty green levels, using an electrical cable to jump, swing over obstacles and grab energy. Uses on-screen buttons so can be a bit tough to play, but comes with 12 free levels to get you going.
34. Angry Birds Rio
Yet more Angry Birds for fans of the simplistic trial and error physics game. Angry Birds Rio is another chapter-based effort as well, with developer Rovio leaving tempting empty slots on the menu screen for periodic updates of new levels. More of the same, but with a prettier, 3D look to it this time thanks to a vague association with animated movie Rio.
35. Grave Defense Holidays
As with Angry Birds, the maker of this superb tower defence game has spun out a separate version it fills with seasonal levels. Recently updated with an Easter map, this free version of the game also includes Valentine, Christmas and St Patrick's Day themed maps. Currently calls itself Grave Defense Easter. Easily one of the best examples of the tactical genre.
36. Words with Friends Free
The popular iPhone Scrabble-alike is now on Android, with an ad-supported version up on Google Play for free. Words with Friends Free should actually be called Words for People Without Any Friends, as once installed it lets users play with complete strangers online - or pick specific people from your contacts list. It's turn-based, so several ongoing games can be strung out for days.
37. PewPew
Very similar in style and concept to Xbox and Xbox 360 retro classic Geometry Wars. In fact, one might legally be able to get away with calling it a right old rip-off. Android PewPew is a rock-hard 2D shooting game packed with alternate game modes. It's a bit rough around the edges and requires a powerful phone to run smoothly, but when it does it's a fantastic thing.
38. Tap Fish
A nice looking little aquarium, that combines the timeless hobby of staring at goldfish with game elements based around breeding new varieties. There's a slight sting in the tail here in that Tap Fish is one of the initial wave of "freemium" Android games brought into life thanks to Google's launch of in-app billing. The really cool new stuff costs little bits of money.
39. Beats, Advanced Rhythm Game
A standard rhythm action, button pressing music game for Android. Beats manages to outdo the official music games by including a Download Song tab, where it's possible to install new song files created by users. It's very hard and very fast. Just like they should be. Runs perfectly on an HTC Desire, too, so there's no blaming glitches for not doing very well.
40. Pinball Deluxe
Pinball Deluxe is an actually decent pinball sim for Android, and it's free. At the moment it comes with four tables - Wild West, Carnival, Space Frontier and Diving for Treasure. Ball movement is convincing, and although a bit of the magic is lost thanks to having to use on-screen buttons, it's a smooth enough experience. It's ad-supported. Don't press those. You don't get a bonus.
41. Winter Walk
Winter Walk is madness. You play the part of a gentleman, out for an evening walk. From time to time the wind picks up, so you have to hold on to his hat to stop it blowing away.
While this is happening, the chap's internal monologue appears on screen, giving you an entertaining and distracting read in the process, too. Very simple, but a perfect little high score challenge game for the touchscreen era.
42. Colosseum Heroes
Publisher Gamevil takes a break from churning out the role-playing games to give dumb action a go here. Colosseum Heroes is a 2D slasher, where you simply try to survive for as long as possible, building up your armour and weaponry to make yourself tougher and meaner.
Technically this is a "freemium" game paid for with in-app purchases, but if you're prepared to spend a while building up your character's skills manually, there's no need to pay out.
43. Stardash Free
Developer Orange Pixel has a knack of creating excellent retro titles, with Stardash a fine example.
Designed to look like a Game Boy game from before many of you younger readers were born, Stardash is clearly a bit of a Mario homage - but it's done exceptionally well and is endlessly replayable. If you like it, and you probably will, there's an alternate paid version that removes the adverts.
44. Scramble With Friends Free
Zynga's latest puzzler Scramble With Friends Free is technically a free game, but in order to get the most out of it and play as it's meant to be played you'll need to use the in-app purchasing system to buy "tokens" to let you access games quicker. Which leaves a slightly bad T-A-S-T-E in the M-O-U-T-H, but at least it's free and perfectly playable at a slow pace if you're just curious.
45. Dead on Arrival
Dead on Arrival is a very impressive looking 3D survival horror game, which dumps you in a hospital infested with zombies. You then try to not get eaten by buying new weapons, boarding up doors to keep the brain-eaters at bay and using wall-mounted weaponry to quicken the zombie mincing process. As with many of today's Android titles, there's the option to pay for stuff within the game to unlock features and remove ads - but you don't have to.
46. Stick Cricket
Stick Cricket is a fantastically simple little game that reduces cricket to its core values - you just smash every ball as hard as you can. There's no worrying about field positioning, just a bat and a ball coming at you very quickly. Initially it seems impossible to do anything other than make a complete mess of things and having your little man smashed upside-down, but it soon clicks.
47. Draw Something Free
Draw Something Free is the new phenomenon that's taking the world by storm (at the time of writing, at least). It's basically a mobile version of Pictionary, where you're given a choice of three words of varying difficulty, then tasked with drawing them so someone can tell what it is. Syncs with Facebook, too, for easy cross-platform play. If you like the free trial, there's a paid accompaniment with more content.
48. Fragger
The popular web-based Flash game Fragger is now on Android. It's pretty much a clone of Angry Birds, mind, offering simple physics-based challenges based around chucking grenades all over the place to make stuff blow up. It comes with some rather intrusive ads, but that's the price you (don't) pay for sticking with the free version.
49. The Sims FreePlay
Global mega-corporation EA has gone literally mad, giving away its Android version of The Sims for nothing in the form of The Sims FreePlay. In return for sitting through some full-screen adverts every now and again, players get a decent mobile version of The Sims, complete with pets, plants, lifestyle points and all the usual mundane activities that make the series popular. It's not perfect, but does fit in most Sims core features.
50. Super Bit Dash
About as far away from The Sims as you can get. Super Bit Dash is a retro-style 2D platform game, with controls as simple as its pixel art design. The game runs at a constant pace, so all the player has to do is jump and super-special-jump at the right time in order to avoid smashing into the scenery. Obviously it's a lot harder than that makes it sound.
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Updated: 50 best free Android games
50 best free Android games
As Android phones and tablets have increased in popularity, the number of apps available for the platform has rocketed.And that means more free Android games. There's a lot of junk out there but, fortunately, there are gems among the junk.
We've worked our way through a whole load of Android games to reveal the ones you should download to your phone.
If we've missed your favourite free Android game, let us know in the comments.
We also have a video run down of the top 10:
1. Angry Birds
The amazingly popular iOS game moved to Android recently, earning over two million downloads during its first weekend of availability.
The Android version is free, unlike the Apple release, with maker Rovio opting to stick a few adverts on it rather than charge an upfront fee. The result is a massive and very challenging physics puzzler that's incredibly polished and professional. For free. It defies all the laws of modern retail.
Angry Birds for Android was first available to download from app store GetJar but is now available through Android Market.
2. Bebbled
Bebbled is your standard gem-shuffling thing, only presented in a professional style you wouldn't be surprised to see running on something featuring a Nintendo badge with an asking price of £19.99.
You only drop gems on other gems to nuke larger groups of the same colour, but with ever-tightening demands for score combos and scenes that require you to rotate your phone to flip the play field on its head, Bebbled soon morphs into an incredibly complex challenge.
3. Red Stone
There's an awful lot of square-shuffling games on Android and Red Stone is one of the best. And one of the hardest. You start off with a big fat 'King' square that's four times of the normal 'pawn' squares, then set about shuffling things so the fat King can get through to an exit at the top of the screen.
It's hard to accurately describe a puzzle game in the written word, but seriously, it's a good game.
4. Newton
Released a few months back in beta form, Newton is a maths/physics challenge that has you lining up shots at a target - but having to contend with the laws of nature, in the form of pushers, pullers, benders (no laughing), mirrors and traps, all deflecting your shot from its target.
The developer is still adding levels to it at the moment, so one day Newton might be finished and might cost money. But for now it's free and a great indie creation.
5. Sketch Online
Surprisingly free of crude representations of the male genitalia, Sketch Online is a sociable guessing game where users do little drawings then battle to correctly guess what's being drawn first. It's like Mavis Beacon for the Bebo generation. The version labelled "Beta" is free, and if you like it there's the option to pay for an ad-free copy. But Google can't make you. Yet.
6. Drop
Some might call Drop a game, others might classify it as a tech demo that illustrates the accuracy of the Android platform's accelerometer, thanks to how playing it simply involves tilting your phone while making a little bouncy ball falls between gaps in the platforms. Either way it'll amuse you for a while and inform you of the accuracy of your accelerometer - a win-win situation.
7. Frozen Bubble
Another key theme of the independent Android gaming scene is (ports of) clones of popular titles. Like Frozen Bubble, which is based around the ancient and many-times-copied concept of firing gems up a screen to make little groups of similarly coloured clusters. That's what you do. You've probably done it a million times before, so if it's your thing get this downloaded.
8. Replica Island
Replica Island is an extremely polished platform game that pulls off the shock result of being very playable on an Android trackball. The heavy momentum of the character means you're only switching direction with the ball or d-pad, letting you whizz about the levels with ease. Then there's jumping, bottom-bouncing, collecting and all the other usual platform formalities.
9. Gem Miner
In Gem Miner you are a sort of mole character that likes to dig things out of the ground. But that's not important. The game itself has you micro-managing the raw materials you find, upgrading your digging powers and buying bigger and better tools and maps. Looks great, plays well on Android's limited button array. Go on, suck the very life out of the planet.
10. ConnecToo
Another coloured-square-based puzzle game, only ConnecToo has you joining them up. Link red to red, then blue to blue - then see if you've left a pathway through to link yellow to yellow. You probably haven't, so delete it all and try again.
A brilliantly simple concept. ConnecToo used to be a paid-for game, but was recently switched to an ad-supported model - meaning it now costs you £0.00.
11. Titres
Once you're successfully rewired your brain's 25 years of playing Tetris in a certain way with certain buttons and got used to tapping the screen to rotate your blocks, it's... Tetris.
It hinges on how much you enjoy placing things with your phone's trackball or pad. If you're good at it, it's a superb Tetris clone. Let's hope it doesn't get sued out of existence.
UPDATE: While Titres seems to have been removed from the Market, there's now an official Tetris app available to download.
12. Trap!
Not the best-looking game you'll ever play, with its shabby brown backgrounds and rudimentary text making it look like something you'd find running on a PC in the year 1985. But Trap! is good.
You draw lines to box in moving spheres, gaining points for cordoning off chunks of the screen. That sounds rubbish, so please invest two minutes of your time having a go on it so you don't think we're talking nonsense.
13. Jewels
Coloured gems again, and this time your job is to switch pairs to make larger groups which then disappear. That might also sound quite familiar. The good thing about Jewels is its size and presentation, managing to look professional while packing in more levels than should really be given away for free.
14. OpenSudoku
We had to put one Sudoku game in here, so we'll go with OpenSudoku - which lives up to its open tag thanks to letting users install packs of new puzzles generated by Sudoku makers. It's entirely possible you could use this to play new Sudoku puzzles for the rest of your life, if that's not too terrifying a thought.
15. Abduction!
Abduction! is a sweet little platform jumping game, presented in a similarly quirky and hand-drawn style as the super-fashionable Doodle Jump. You can't argue with cute cows and penguins with parachutes, or a game that's easy to play with one hand thanks to its super accessible accelerometer controls.
16. The Great Land Grab
A cross between a map tool and Foursquare, The Great Land Grab sorts your local area into small rectangular packets of land - which you take ownership of by travelling through them in real-time and buying them up.
Then someone else nicks them off you the next day, a bit like real-world Risk. A great idea, as long as you don't mind nuking your battery by leaving your phone sitting there on the train with its GPS radio on.
17. Brain Genius Deluxe
Our basic legal training tells us it's better to use the word "homage" than to label something a "rip-off", so we'll recommend this as a simple "homage" to the famed Nintendo Brain Training franchise.
Clearly Brain Genius Deluxe is not going to be as slick, but there's enough content in here to keep you "brain training" (yes, it even uses that phrase) until your battery dies. The presentation's painfully slow, but then again that might be the game teaching you patience.
18. Coloroid
Coloroid is aery, very simple and has the look of the aftermath of an explosion in a Tetris factory, but it works. All you do is expand coloured areas, trying to fill them in with colours in as few moves as possible - like using Photoshop's fill tool at a competitive level.
19. Cestos
Cestos is sort of a futuristic recreation of curling, where players chuck marbles at each other to try and smash everyone else's balls/gems down the drain and out of the zone. The best part is this all happens online against real humans, so as long as there's a few other bored people out there at the same time you'll have a real, devious, cheating, quitting person to play against. Great.
20. Air Control
One of the other common themes on the Android gaming scene is clones of games based around pretending to be an air traffic controller, where you guide planes to landing strips with a swish of your finger. There are loads of them, all pretty much the same thing - we've chosen Air Control as it's an ad-supported release, so is technically free.
21. GalaxIR
GalaxIR is a futuristic strategy game with an abstract look, where players micro-manage an attacking alien fleet. Pick a planet, pick an attack point, then hope your troops have the balls to carry it off. There's not much structure to the game as yet, but that's what you get when you're on the bleeding-edge of free, independent Android gaming development.
22. Graviturn
Graviturn is an accelerometer based maze game, where the aim is to roll a red ball out of a maze by tilting your phone around. Seems embarrassingly easy at first, until increasing numbers of green balls appear on screen. If any green balls roll off the screen you die and have to try again. It's abstract. It's good.
23. Alchemy Classic
There are a few variants on Alchemy out there, each offering a similarly weird experience. In Alchemy Classic you match up elements to create their (vaguely) scientific offspring, so dumping water onto earth makes a swamp, and so on. It's a brain teaser thing and best played by those who enjoy spending many hours in the company of the process of elimination.
24. Action Potato
In Action Potato you control three pots. Pressing on the pots makes them jump up into the air, where they harvest potatoes. See how many you can get in a row. That's the gist of it. And don't collect the rotten potatoes, else you die. That really is it. The Android Market stats say this is on well over 250,000 downloads, so it's doing something right.
25. Scrambled Net
Scrambled Net is based around the age-old concept of lining up pipes and tubes, but has been jazzed up with images of computer terminals, high score tracking and animations. Still looks like something you'd have played on a Nokia during the last decade, but it's free - and looking rubbish hardly stopped Snake from taking off, did it?
25 more brilliant free Android games
26. DropwordsDropwords is laid out like your standard Android block-based puzzle game, the difference here is we're not dealing with gems - you make blocks disappear by spelling out words from the jumbled heap of letters. There's not an enormous amount of point to it, but you can at least submit your scores and best words to the server, where an AI version of Susie Dent will pass her approval.
27. Barrr
What you do in Barrr is man-manage a bar world, pointing men at the beers, games or tattoo parlour, then taking their money off them once they're drunk and happy like a good capitalist. And make sure they go to the toilet. Things, as things do in games, soon start speeding up and it gets rather insane and difficult.
28. Tetronimo
The name gives it away - this is a Tetris clone. Or rather it's a game that uses the same sort of block-shifting rules as Tetris, only with a very nice and user friendly touchscreen area beneath the block pit to make it easy to play. We're having trouble locating this on the Android Market at time of writing - either a glitch or the inevitable legal troubles.
UPDATE: Tetronimo seems to have been removed from the Market, but there's now an official Tetris app available to download.
29. Wordfeud
Wordfeud is a superb little clone of Scrabble, with a big, clear screen and online play options that actually work. The game's been offered for free with some hefty advertising over it thanks to the developer being based in Norway - which only received paid-for app sales support recently. A paid version may arrive soon, but Wordfeud remains free right now.
30. Friction Mobile
Friction Mobile is a very odd concept that makes no sense in still images. You fire a ball into the screen, then try to hit that ball with other balls until it explodes. The catch is you're not allowed to bounce balls backwards into your own face. Because then you die. Sounds rubbish, but works well. It's free, so give it a no-obligation, no-commitment whirl.
31. Geared
Geared is a weird little thing finally converted over to Android from iPhone. It's an embarrassingly simple concept - players slot different sized cogs into place on the screen, with the aim being to power one gear from another. Then, as is video game tradition, it gets harder and harder. Plus there are 150 levels of it all.
32. Meganoid
A stunning little retro game, Meganoid plays and looks like something that ought to be running on a Nintendo emulator. But it isn't. It's new and on Android. It's a speed-based challenge, using on-screen or accelerometer controls to jump and bounce through ever-hardening levels. Developer Orange Pixel is aggressively supporting it, too, with constant map packs, characters and more regularly appearing for download.
33. Cordy
A standard and traditional platform game. Cordy is a speed-based affair, with players running, jumping and collecting their way through its pretty green levels, using an electrical cable to jump, swing over obstacles and grab energy. Uses on-screen buttons so can be a bit tough to play, but comes with 12 free levels to get you going.
34. Angry Birds Rio
Yet more Angry Birds for fans of the simplistic trial and error physics game. Angry Birds Rio is another chapter-based effort as well, with developer Rovio leaving tempting empty slots on the menu screen for periodic updates of new levels. More of the same, but with a prettier, 3D look to it this time thanks to a vague association with animated movie Rio.
35. Grave Defense Holidays
As with Angry Birds, the maker of this superb tower defence game has spun out a separate version it fills with seasonal levels. Recently updated with an Easter map, this free version of the game also includes Valentine, Christmas and St Patrick's Day themed maps. Currently calls itself Grave Defense Easter. Easily one of the best examples of the tactical genre.
36. Words with Friends Free
The popular iPhone Scrabble-alike is now on Android, with an ad-supported version up on the Android Market for free. Words with Friends Free should actually be called Words for People Without Any Friends, as once installed it lets users play with complete strangers online - or pick specific people from your contacts list. It's turn-based, so several ongoing games can be strung out for days.
37. PewPew
Very similar in style and concept to Xbox and Xbox 360 retro classic Geometry Wars. In fact, one might legally be able to get away with calling it a right old rip-off. Android PewPew is a rock-hard 2D shooting game packed with alternate game modes. It's a bit rough around the edges and requires a powerful phone to run smoothly, but when it does it's a fantastic thing.
38. Tap Fish
A nice looking little aquarium, that combines the timeless hobby of staring at goldfish with game elements based around breeding new varieties. There's a slight sting in the tail here in that Tap Fish is one of the initial wave of "freemium" Android games brought into life thanks to Google's launch of in-app billing. The really cool new stuff costs little bits of money.
39. Beats, Advanced Rhythm Game
A standard rhythm action, button pressing music game for Android. Beats manages to outdo the official music games by including a Download Song tab, where it's possible to install new song files created by users. It's very hard and very fast. Just like they should be. Runs perfectly on an HTC Desire, too, so there's no blaming glitches for not doing very well.
40. Pinball Deluxe
Pinball Deluxe is an actually decent pinball sim for Android, and it's free. At the moment it comes with four tables - Wild West, Carnival, Space Frontier and Diving for Treasure. Ball movement is convincing, and although a bit of the magic is lost thanks to having to use on-screen buttons, it's a smooth enough experience. It's ad-supported. Don't press those. You don't get a bonus.
41. Winter Walk
Winter Walk is madness. You play the part of a gentleman, out for an evening walk. From time to time the wind picks up, so you have to hold on to his hat to stop it blowing away.
While this is happening, the chap's internal monologue appears on screen, giving you an entertaining and distracting read in the process, too. Very simple, but a perfect little high score challenge game for the touchscreen era.
42. Colosseum Heroes
Publisher Gamevil takes a break from churning out the role-playing games to give dumb action a go here. Colosseum Heroes is a 2D slasher, where you simply try to survive for as long as possible, building up your armour and weaponry to make yourself tougher and meaner.
Technically this is a "freemium" game paid for with in-app purchases, but if you're prepared to spend a while building up your character's skills manually, there's no need to pay out.
43. Stardash Free
Developer Orange Pixel has a knack of creating excellent retro titles, with Stardash a fine example.
Designed to look like a Game Boy game from before many of you younger readers were born, Stardash is clearly a bit of a Mario homage - but it's done exceptionally well and is endlessly replayable. If you like it, and you probably will, there's an alternate paid version that removes the adverts.
44. Scramble With Friends Free
Zynga's latest puzzler Scramble With Friends Free is technically a free game, but in order to get the most out of it and play as it's meant to be played you'll need to use the in-app purchasing system to buy "tokens" to let you access games quicker. Which leaves a slightly bad T-A-S-T-E in the M-O-U-T-H, but at least it's free and perfectly playable at a slow pace if you're just curious.
45. Dead on Arrival
Dead on Arrival is a very impressive looking 3D survival horror game, which dumps you in a hospital infested with zombies. You then try to not get eaten by buying new weapons, boarding up doors to keep the brain-eaters at bay and using wall-mounted weaponry to quicken the zombie mincing process. As with many of today's Android titles, there's the option to pay for stuff within the game to unlock features and remove ads - but you don't have to.
46. Stick Cricket
Stick Cricket is a fantastically simple little game that reduces cricket to its core values - you just smash every ball as hard as you can. There's no worrying about field positioning, just a bat and a ball coming at you very quickly. Initially it seems impossible to do anything other than make a complete mess of things and having your little man smashed upside-down, but it soon clicks.
47. Draw Something Free
Draw Something Free is the new phenomenon that's taking the world by storm (at the time of writing, at least). It's basically a mobile version of Pictionary, where you're given a choice of three words of varying difficulty, then tasked with drawing them so someone can tell what it is. Syncs with Facebook, too, for easy cross-platform play. If you like the free trial, there's a paid accompaniment with more content.
48. Fragger
The popular web-based Flash game Fragger is now on Android. It's pretty much a clone of Angry Birds, mind, offering simple physics-based challenges based around chucking grenades all over the place to make stuff blow up. It comes with some rather intrusive ads, but that's the price you (don't) pay for sticking with the free version.
49. The Sims FreePlay
Global mega-corporation EA has gone literally mad, giving away its Android version of The Sims for nothing in the form of The Sims FreePlay. In return for sitting through some full-screen adverts every now and again, players get a decent mobile version of The Sims, complete with pets, plants, lifestyle points and all the usual mundane activities that make the series popular. It's not perfect, but does fit in most Sims core features.
50. Super Bit Dash
About as far away from The Sims as you can get. Super Bit Dash is a retro-style 2D platform game, with controls as simple as its pixel art design. The game runs at a constant pace, so all the player has to do is jump and super-special-jump at the right time in order to avoid smashing into the scenery. Obviously it's a lot harder than that makes it sound.
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Review: BitFenix Raider
There are some cases, such as the CM Storm Enforcer, that set out to make as big an impression as possible, with windows and lights to show off the premium kit you've crammed inside it. Others take a more subtle approach, like this BitFenix Raider.
It's a pretty plain - though not ugly - chassis.
This isn't a box that's going to dominate at LAN parties and leave your rivals worshipping its monolithic majesty like the apes in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Instead this is a rather unassuming ATX mid tower that concentrates on features and functionality - rather than being distracted with aesthetic extravagance. Although the design of the Raider is straightforward, it still looks pretty good.
Most of the front and top of the case is made out of steel mesh, which allows for excellent airflow throughout.
At the top you'll find four USB 3.0 ports, as well as headphone and microphone sockets. The four USB 3.0 sockets are a welcome touch and are connected internally via two headers.
If the motherboard you install inside the BitFenix Raider doesn't have enough USB 3.0 headers available, a USB 2.0 adaptor is also included - which shows impressive forethought.
Vital stats
Format - ATX Mid Tower
Motherboard support - Mini-ITX, mATX, ATX
Fans - 2x 120mm front, 1x 120mm rear
Drive bays - 4x 5.25in, 6x 3.5in, 7x 2.5in
Front panel - 4x USB 3.0, mic, headphone, fan control
Format - ATX Mid Tower
Motherboard support - Mini-ITX, mATX, ATX
Fans - 2x 120mm front, 1x 120mm rear
Drive bays - 4x 5.25in, 6x 3.5in, 7x 2.5in
Front panel - 4x USB 3.0, mic, headphone, fan control
The top of the case is also home to the power and rest buttons, two rather discreet LEDs and a fan control slider that can control up to five fans. It's a nice touch that the control, along with the I/O ports, are at the top, making it easy to get to if you keep the tower below a desk.
The case comes with three fans as standard, but there's space for adding another 120mm fan to the bottom and a 200mm fan to the top of the case. You also have the option of replacing the two front fans with a single 200m unit as well.
Being a mid-sized case there's a bit of compromise when it comes to how much space you've got to tinker with, but the height does allow for plenty of expansion options, with spaces for 17 drive bays and seven PCI slots down the back.
The tool-less design makes installing drives a snap, and it's nice to have a front panel that we were able to remove without worrying that it will break.
Securing the motherboard was slightly more fiddly, as with a PSU installed at the bottom of the case, room soon becomes a premium and we had to insert the motherboard at an angle.
While the BitFenix Raider is tall enough to hold plenty of components, its length means that things get cramped pretty fast. While long graphics cards can be accommodated, the case holding the hard drive bays makes attaching SATA cables difficult if the port on your motherboard come out at right-angles.
After installation, the case is very quiet, even with the three fans going and the fan control on max.
We liked
When everything is installed, the case is very quiet - so much so that it was a shame to install a DVD drive, as the whirring from that seemed stupidly loud in comparison. The I/O and fan controls at the top of the chassis is another nice touch. The price is also very attractive.We disliked
For all the ease of installing drives, the limited depth of the case did cause a few annoyances further into the installation, although depending on the motherboard and size of the graphics card and other components you use, you might not encounter the same frustrations.Verdict
The BitFenix Raider is a competent case with a great price, but if you want more room to tinker, look elsewhere.
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Apple admits new iPad shows 100% charge early
Apple has defended itself over criticism from new iPad users who claim the third-generation tablet shows it's fully charged before it actually is.
Various tests have revealed the new iPad continues charging after it claims to be 100 percent charged, which has led to confusion among owners who fear they are being misled.
Apple, which doesn't usually comment of these sorts of matters, said to AllThingsD that the new iPad uses the same charging process as its other iOS devices.
Nothing new about the charging process
Apple went on to confirm that its charging process (which features in the iPad, iPhone and iPod) allows its devices to maintain optimum charge.This is achieved by the device displaying 100 per cent charge when it's nearly fully charged, then it will continue to charge to actual 100 per cent, discharge a small amount, then recharge to 100 per cent and the process is repeated. Got all that? Good.
So what is being said here? Well Apple has admitted that yes, the new iPad technically does say it's 100 per cent charged before it actually is, but thanks to its fancy charging process you don't need to worry. Phew.
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In Depth: Samsung NX20 release date, news and rumours
Samsung was one of the early players in the mirrorless market, but it's fair to say that it has since been eclipsed by other brands. However, rumours suggest that a Samsung NX20 is about to be unveiled.
Here we bring you all the latest updates on a potential new CSC from the Korean manufacturer.
Samsung NX20 specs
Samsung was the first camera manufacturer to place an APS-C size sensor in a compact system camera, with latest rumours suggesting that the NX20 will house a 20.3 million pixel CMOS device.Other suggested specs include an 8fps continuous drive mode, full HD video recording, inbuilt flash and electronic viewfinder.
There has also been the suggestion that the camera will contain inbuilt Wi-Fi, something that is currently found on some Samsung compact models.
In terms of aesthetics, a leaked photo appears to show a DSLR style body, taking it away from the more 'compact' stylings of the Samsung NX200.
Samsung NX20 release date
Originally rumoured for a February release date, the next suggestion is that May 2012 will see an announcement of the NX20. It looks like the spring/summer months are shaping up to be a key time for several manufacturers, with rumours that Sony, Panasonic and even Canon will also be bringing new CSCs to the market.
Samsung NX20 price
Currently the Samsung NX11 retails at around £350, having originally had an RRP of £550 just over a year ago. Therefore, it's logical to assume that the NX20 will come with a similar £550 price tag, especially if it has those extra features.However, the NX200 can currently be bought for around £520, after having an original RRP of £700.
If Samsung wants to pitch the NX20 above the NX200, then it could also be safe to assume that we will see a price tag in the £800-£1000 region, which would see it pitched against the Sony NEX-7 and the Olympus OM-D.
Stay tuned for more information on any new Samsung products as and when it emerges.
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Sony announces UltraViolet enabled discs for the UK
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced that it is embracing the UltraViolet locker service in the UK, with the announcement that it will be bringing out compatible discs in June.
UltraViolet has something of a soft launch in the UK, so it is great to see Sony bring discs that will allow you to add digital copies to a locker for viewing on myriad systems and has announced that Jack & Jill, The Vow and 21 Jump Street will all be UltraViolet enabled.
Own terms
Speaking about the news, Liz Bales, Director-General of UK copyright education body, the Industry Trust for IP Awareness, said: "Sony's announcement is fantastic news for UK film fans, the vast majority of whom are ready and very willing to pay for legal film, TV and video online and are looking for the industry to provide them with convenient, value-for-money services. UltraViolet offers this and more."It enables film fans to enjoy their content on their own terms, with the chance to move seamlessly between disc and digital formats."
The news comes after Twentieth Century Fox announced that it is still not committing to bringing out discs that use UltraViolet but it is still invested in the service.
UltraViolet launched in the UK in December 2011, with Warner Bros' Final Destination 5 the first disc to utilise the service.
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Google Drive cloud storage to launch in April?
Rumours of Google's cloud storage service, dubbed Google Drive, have been rumbling for literally years but it looks as though a launch date may be in sight at last.
Google Drive, or Gdrive to its hipster friends, is said to be nearing a launch in the first week of April 2012.
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It seems that Google plans to offer 1GB of storage for free, while greater capacity will come with a price tag attached. The interface is said to echo that of Google Docs, and there'll be an API for third party apps so you can store content from external apps using the service too.12 best places to get free images for your siteGet top quality photos at these comprehensive libraries
Drive Angry
The word comes from GigaOm, whose "well placed sources" are familiar with the company's plans – but come with caveats given the chequered past Google Drive has had.The first time we heard tell of a cloud storage service from Google was six years ago – March 2006 to be exact – when a leaked presentation from the search giant spoke specifically of "Gdrive".
Since then, rumours of a launch have come and gone – most recently in February of this year – but none have yet come to fruition.
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Fox: Glasses-free 3D 'could stunt' format's growth
Twentieth Century Fox believes that glasses-free 3D TV technology and poor real-time 2D to 3D conversion are doing more harm than good when it comes to showing 3D off in a good light.
Speaking at the PEVE conference in London, Danny Kaye, executive vice president, Global Research and Technology Strategy at Fox, said that 3D will thrive as a format but consumers need to see movies as the director intended them, and not filtered through below par TV technology.
Preaching to the converted
"As long as a film is made in high-quality, you may never tell the difference between a true 3D movie and a post-converted one," explained Kaye."But, what is harming the idea of 3D [for consumers] is real-time conversion.
Kaye: "We shouldn't stunt the growth of 3D by introducing techniques that don't show it off in the best light."
"Whether it is 2D to 3D conversion in real time on a TV set or versions of no-glasses 3D TVs… we do not need [these technologies] yet as they cannot match the quality of professional conversion services or the filmmaker shooting it in 3D to begin with."Kaye is optimistic about the future of 3D but said it will take time: "3D is a very complicated technology to get right, it's not so hard to get wrong."
His biggest concern is that techniques such as glasses-free 3D and real-time conversion aren't helping in the perception of 3D to consumers.
Explained Kaye: "We shouldn't stunt the growth of 3D at this early stage by introducing techniques that do not show off 3D in the best light."
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IMAX: There's nothing wrong with 3D conversions
Post converted 3D can be as good as the real thing, according to IMAX, and that it's the quality of the filmmaking that should determine the quality of the 3D.
This is according to Julian Stanford, general manager, theatre development, IMAX, who was speaking at the PEVE conference in London, with TechRadar in attendance.
In a panel about 3D and the effect it is having on cinemas and the home, Stanford backed post-conversion 3D and said we all should too.
Good results
"There is no reason why converting 3D in post production, whether you do it 30 years later or a day later, should produce a bad result," Stanford explained. "It is possible to get very good results from the post production process."He did note that full-fat 3D is preferable but post-production technology as it is means that more films can embrace the format.
"It is perhaps better to have 3D in the beginning right from the storyboard phase but there are examples of many post-converted scenes where you would not be able to tell the difference," said Stanford.
"I'm sure Titanic will be as good as any, given Cameron's understanding of 3D. But on the other hand, there have been some pretty poor 3D films."
And there's also been Clash Of The Titans...
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Adobe announces Flash 11.2 and AIR 3.2
Adobe has announced Flash Player 11.2 and AIR 3.2 in its drive to push browser-based gaming.
The new features are aimed to better enable developers to create advanced 3D games like Shadowgun for web browsers.
The new Flash Player is auto-updating to make sure games will run smoothly without the hassle of requiring users to manually update to the latest version.
Flash Player 1.2's new features include mouse-lock, relative mouse co-ordinates and right/middle click support as well as multithreaded video decoding which Adobe promises will enable "seamless, smooth playback of full HD video".
AIR 3.2 brings Flash to iOS and Android devices and debuts Stage 3D graphics tech that Adobe claims will bring "jaw-dropping visuals with efficient, 1000x faster native GPU rendering performance in your pocket".
Free for low-rollers
As an incentive to developers, Adobe isn't charging for Flash 11.2's premium features until their app hits $50,000 (about £31,000) in revenue. After that it will skim nine percent off the app's earnings.Meanwhile, AIR apps making use of premium features won't be charged at all.
If you want the full breakdown on Flash Player 11.2 and AIR 3.2 you can see Adobe's Lee Brimelow and Tom Nguyen break it down for you on a (pretty dry) video.
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Review: Zotac ZBox ID80 Plus
Rapidly becoming as well-known for its mini PCs as it is for its Nvidia-based graphics cards, Zotac has released yet another version of the ZBox. This time it's the diminutive ZBox ID80 Plus; the 'Plus' meaning that the unit comes with memory and a hard drive pre-installed.
The ZBox is the bulky, bigger brother of the ZBox Nano. This ZBox employs a desktop version of Intel's latest Atom platform refreshes, codenamed Cedar Trail.
The new CPU's have had a die shrink - 32nm down from 45nm - and uses an entirely new GPU core. The D2700 Atom CPU comes with a 2.13GHz clock speed and - whereas the previous processors only supported DDR3 up to 667MHz - Cedar Trail processor support, DDR3-800 and 1,066MHz.
With a TDP of 10W the desktop part is also very power efficient; with the new mobile part even more so.
Nvidia, please
The biggest change in the new Atom platform - apart from the die shrinkage - is in the design of the graphics. The previous generation of Atom CPUs used the GMA3150, which was based on the GMA3100 GPU, but in the new architecture the graphics are powered by a PowerVR SGX 545 from Imagination Technologies.Unfortunately, we can't gauge how much of an improvement - if any - the new sub-system offers, because it has been turned off in the ZBox ID80 in favour of the Nvidia GeForce GT520M GPU, which has been added directly to the motherboard.
The price doesn't include an installed OS, but memory wise, Zotac has fitted 2GB of DDR3 1,066MHz, though the mobo can support up to 4GB, and the hard drive is a mechanical 5,400rpm 320GB spinner.
Benchmarks
CPU encoding performanceX264 v4: Index score: Higher is better
Sapphire Edge HD3: 3.20
Zotac ZBox ID80 Plus: 3.56
CPU rendering performance
Cinebench R11.5: Index score: Higher is better
Sapphire Edge HD3: 0.63
Zotac ZBox ID80 Plus: 0.72
Memory bandwidth
SiSoft Sandra: GB/S: Higher is better
Sapphire Edge HD3: 4.27
Zotac ZBox ID80 Plus: 4.15
The ID80 comes with plenty of USB 2.0 ports, which makes loading an OS a lot easier an operation than on Sapphire's HD3 - as long as you have an external optical drive or the OS stored on a USB stick or external hard drive.
The Zotac certainly looks the part in its aluminium and super-shiny piano black finish. When it's switched on a large bright blue ring appears on the top. Thankfully this isn't connected to anything like the hard drive - if it were, it would surely drive you up the wall when it started flashing.
Connection-wise, it's well catered for - not only do you get Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet there's also a USB-driven IR receiver and a remote control bundled in the box. Fancy.
The ID80 Plus not only comes with its own plastic stand, it also comes with a VESA mount, which enables you to mount it on the back of a monitor or TV, add a wireless keyboard and mouse and hey presto you have a space-saving PC, albeit a space-saving PC with some core performance limitations.
Apart from the lack of an OS there's not an awful lot to dislike about the Zotac ID80 Plus. Yes, the performance isn't great but then you could always opt for the standard ID80 barebones system and fit the maximum amount of memory and an SSD in yourself for that bit more get-up-and-go.
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Review: Panasonic TX-L42ET50B
Introduction
Gloss black is dead - it's official - but only for the well heeled. For so long the dominant colour scheme for flatscreen TVs, the 3D-ready, Edge LED-backlit Panasonic TX-L42ET50B - the first of many Panasonic TVs for 2012 - bears all the hallmarks of a high-end attempt.And that, ladies and gentlemen, means a super-thin Crystal Frame metallic bezel.
Well, kind of. The super-slim design (the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B is a mere 36mm in depth) features a visible metallic-looking bezel that's a tiny 11mm wide, but it's part of an optical illusion.
Around the edge of the panel is a 10mm transparent plastic rim that ripples into two steps, the foremost layer housing that metallic bezel. Inside that is an 11mm seam of black around the actual panel, which ought to help push the perception of contrast on this Edge LED-backlit panel.
It might rely largely on trickery, but overall it's a pleasant, understated look that's a mite fresher than the plain gloss black that other brands try to dress up as new and exciting (stand up Sony and its dull-as 'monolithic' design).
Brand new from Panasonic's spring TV ranges, this ET50 screen leaves nothing to chance, chumming up a Full HD resolution with 3D compatibility, Panasonic's smart VIiera Connect interface, a Freeview HD tuner and an 800Hz option.
The latter may sound startling to those brought up to believe that 100Hz was advanced tech, but it's actually not as impressive as it sounds, instead being a 200Hz mode with backlight scanning and blinking. In short, it's maths, not reality.
More notable is the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B's use of active shutter 3D technology.
Using battery-powered and often fairly chunky glasses, active shutter 3D makes obvious sense on huge plasma TVs where the extra real estate and mostly profound black levels make a difference.
But the cheaper, more easy-going (glasses-wise) passive 3D workaround had been expected to dominate on smaller TVs in 2012.
That the company that invented active shutter 3D should stick with it despite the commercial success of passive 3D televisions is a telling move.
Viera Connect adds Netflix for 2012, as well as a shopping platform, although interactivity doesn't stretch to the touchpad remote control employed on some of Panasonic's high-end 3D Blu-ray players, such as the Panasonic DMP-BDT320.
In the ET50 Series - Panasonic's entry-level range for active shutter 3D LED TVs - the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B sits below the bigger 47-inch TX-L47ET50B, with a UK price of £1,297.99 (about $2,070).
There are many other 3D-ready LED-backlit Smart Vieras.
For those after a slight price drop and more interested in 3D convenience than ultimate detail, Panasonic has made the rather unexpected move of poaching some of LG's FPR panels to power its ET5B lineup.
Comprising the 32-inch Panasonic TX-L32ET5B, 37-inch Panasonic TX-L37ET5B, 42-inch Panasonic TX-L42ET5B, 47-inch Panasonic TX-L47ET5B and 55-inch Panasonic TX-L55ET5B, these Easy 3D screens come with four free pairs of 3D glasses.
Features
Where once Panasonic TVs were simply called Viera, now they are Smart Viera.A Freeview HD tuner isn't strictly part of that arsenal, but it's good to see on the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B, although there is a big disappointment to counter that; there are no 3D glasses included in the box, which makes 3D viewing an unlikely luxury.
For testing purposes we were supplied with a pair of the super-lightweight (at just 27g) TY-ER3D4ME Bluetooth active shutter 3D glasses.
We've discussed the merits of active shutter vs passive 3D before, but the former's use here underlines which technology Panasonic prefers (then again, it did invent active shutter, so does have a vested interest in its promotion).
Arguably much higher up in our wish lists for all TVs is their smart dimension, and here we get Viera Connect, an interface that's virtually identical to last year's incarnation. Netflix is the new kid on the block - as it is everywhere, it seems - and it joins Acetrax for video streaming, although BBC iPlayer and YouTube are still the heavyweights.
FetchTV comes into the fold, too, joining BBC News, CNBC, Euronews, Skype (you'll need a Panasonic HD Communication Camera TY-CC10W to use this), Twitter, Facebook, BIGFlix+ (Indian blockbuster movies) and iConcerts.
We used the latter to play an entire show of Morrissey performing with Jools Holland from a few years ago - surely the zenith of the smart TV revolution.
It gets a lot smarter than that, with a downloadable web browser and the chance to sign up, give your credit card details and start downloading games, such as Asphalt 5 and Uno.
Networking is now a permanent feature of TVs, and the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B doesn't disappoint. It uses the occasionally flaky DLNA system, although a connected HDD containing recorded TV content can be accessed by other DLNA-equipped devices, too.
The Panasonic TX-L42ET50B also features Wi-Fi Direct, which means some smartphones can connect directly.
Ins and outs on the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B are many, although their positioning is an acquired taste. All four of the HDMI inputs - one of which is Audio Return Channel (ARC)-compatible for routing audio to an AV receiver and cutting out an optical cable - are ensconced in a side panel, which is firmly recessed from the side.
However, if all of those HDMIs are occupied by high-quality, not-very-bendy (that's a technical term) cables, some could protrude from the sides.
Also up here are two USB slots, which again isn't very practical, since one of them can be used to hook up an HDD for making recordings from the Freeview HD tuner.
There's an SD card slot up here, too, for playing digital photos and music, and a Common Interface slot for adding to the Freeview channel roster.
A further connections module on the undercarriage of the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B comprises wired LAN (although there's a Wi-Fi module built-in, thankfully), a VGA port for attaching a PC, RF input and a digital optical audio output.
There are also two small concessions to slimness; ports for slimmed-down adaptors for both Scart and component video. The latter is for 'legacy' kit, since component video is no longer used on DVD and Blu-ray players. Also note that the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B lacks a composite video input.
Picture quality
The Panasonic TX-L42ET50B doesn't initially show itself as a TV aimed at those after a custom-fit picture.
Its picture menus seem to offer nothing more than the usual tweaks for brightness and contrast plus some rudimentary noise reduction, although if you look hard enough there's plenty of opportunity to go way beyond its default Dynamic/Normal/Cinema/True Cinema viewing modes (why no 'game' mode?).
Hidden on a second screen is a shortcut to Advanced Settings, which leads to fine tweaks for white balance and gamma levels, as well as access to arguably this set's most important picture processing weaponry - Intelligent Frame Creation and Clear Cinema.
Intelligent Frame Creation is a frame interpolation feature than can be set to various strengths. Clear Cinema is an 800Hz anti-blur circuitry that generates 200 frames per second, in conjunction with some dynamic backlight scanning.
Used on Freeview HD, the former was best kept on minimum strength to avoid flicker and mosquito noise around moving objects, and the latter is a mild effect indeed.
For 3D, picture settings are limited to simple detection and messaging options, with no exacting control on offer.
We start at the bottom of the quality food chain with some footage streamed through iConcerts on the Viera Connect interface. Morrissey performing on Later... with Jools Holland via iConcerts is strictly standard definition, yet stable and clean.
A blast of the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix via a Virgin Media TiVo box looks clean and colourful, but the lack of convincing black (it appears as a dark blue) is becoming obvious, as is some worrying light leakage from a cluster of LEDs in the bottom-right-hand corner of the screen.
Most alarmingly is a tight viewing angle on this, the biggest version yet of a usually reliable IPS LCD panel. Contrast and colour drain if watched from the wings.
Those light leakage problems are especially obvious on movies with black bars, so it's a continual presence throughout Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy on Blu-ray.
So too is a little background picture noise, although the image underneath is impressively sharp.
The Panasonic TX-L42ET50B's picture is colourful, too, but there's not enough contrast to give bold tones, and convincing blacks and shadow detailing are the victims.
An optional feature for Blu-ray discs is 24p Smooth Film, but on any of its four strengths, the effect is mild. Intelligent Frame Creation and Clear Cinema aren't available for Blu-ray. Thankfully, the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B doesn't suffer from native motion blur.
Converting those spy shenanigans into 3D immediately kills the colour as it ups the contrast, with the overly cool results looking slightly befuddled and lacking much consistency, although we occasionally spotted some crisp and clear depth effects.
Tahiti Wave on 3D Blu-ray is the real deal on the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B. The level of detail is very high, and there's little evidence of crosstalk or ghosted images, but as with last year's crop of 3D TVs, we did notice some flickering that becomes more obvious the more ambient light is in the room.
If you can resist the temptation to crack open a window in bright sunlight, the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B performs very well with 3D, although it's perhaps a tad too small for true immersion.
Usability, sound and value
Usability
The Panasonic TX-L42ET50B has a bland user interface. It's not much changed from the 2011 crop of TVs, which is no bad thing in itself, but we've now seen better - and from Panasonic itself.
The brand's Blu-ray players, such as the Panasonic DMP-BDT320, feature a gorgeous gesture-driven interface that keeps everything simple, icon-led and beautifully designed - and even features a touchpad remote control.
Why the Viera smart TVs don't include that interface and remote is beyond us, although the remote control on the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B includes red backlighting that home cinema owners will adore.
Freeview HD is given a similar treatment as it was in previous years. That's to say, it's dull; seven channels' schedules are shown over two hours, with brief programme information shown up top.
It's a branded Freeview affair, which now thankfully doesn't include adverts along the side. Much better than last year, then, but still not a patch on the slick EPGs from the likes of Sony and Samsung.
Setting recordings from the EPG is easy, while instant recording can be set to a default of up to 180 minutes. Bear in mind that a USB HDD or flash drive must first be formatted, and then used only with Panasonic AV gear. Recorded TV programmes are in a format that can't be read by a PC.
Networking via Wi-Fi is a mixed bag, with MOV, MP4, AVC HD and AVI video all supported. But from a USB drive we only managed to play AVC HD, AVI and MKV.
At least it's comprehensive overall, with the lossless FLAC music format supported, in addition to MP3.
Sound
The Panasonic TX-L42ET50B puts in a relatively good audio performance, with its stereo speakers offering a decent amount of bass.
V-Audio is worth engaging for some extra precision, although V-Audio Surround is misleadingly named - we didn't spot any rear effects - and the Speech mode is too thin and bereft of bass.
Crucially, the speakers are good enough for a daily diet of dialogue-based TV, so will suit a living room not planning on adding home cinema clutter.
Value
The real test for the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B is how it can stand up to a Panasonic plasma, not other Edge LED TVs. It's slimmer and more stylish than a plasma and packed with just as many features, but it costs the same largely because it uses active shutter 3D technology.However, the lack of 3D glasses in the box makes this an expensive option, and one we're not convinced many buyers will take up. Given that, the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B does seem overpriced.
We're willing to bet that its 42-inch L42ET5B passive 3D variant will do better among buyers looking for a cheaper add-on opportunity for the occasional 3D movie.
Verdict
Why is Panasonic offering an Edge LED alternative to its plasma TVs? Given that the latter performs peerlessly with 3D and nicely upscales lesser-than-HD sources, the choice of Edge LED is surely all about the innate slimness it brings.There's no doubting the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B's style, but is it over substance?
We liked:
Almost completely blur-free and with awesome detail from Blu-ray, this 42-inch television impresses further with a superb smart TV dimension, Viera Connect.For long the slickest-looking of the smart TV interfaces, this Wi-Fi-powered and nicely designed GUI now has the content to match its rivals at Samsung and Sony. It's especially great to see Netflix.
Audio is better than average, too, as is the active shutter 3D effect and the backlit remote control, while the slim bezel design is nothing if not innovative.
We disliked:
Where's Lovefilm? As well as that missing app on Viera Connect, it's sad to see that no 3D glasses are included in the box, which makes 3D a pricey add-on.We were also disappointed with the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B's tight viewing angle, LED light leakage in a corner of the panel, and generally lacklustre black levels.
The Freeview HD EPG is bland amid a core GUI that's starting to look a little dated.
Verdict:
3D is an expensive luxury on this, Panasonic's biggest ever Edge LED TV. It may have sacrificed plasma at this living room-friendly size, but its love of active shutter 3D tech refuses to budge.That's a strange move that leaves the Panasonic TX-L42ET50B neither a slim and cheap option nor a high-end home cinema screen, although at its best it's just capable of surviving in either environment.
Also consider:
Competition among other manufacturers' ranges for 2012 is still building, with many models yet to be announced. However, the Philips 42PFL7666H is worth an audition - it uses passive 3D tech, but offers a more robust, classy metallic build quality and an app that can stream photos from phone to TV.Those not after 3D should also check out the 40-inch Toshiba 40RL858B.
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